Are you bending over backwards for the right reasons?
We all go to great lengths to get the job done. Maybe it is for a promising customer, a cause we care deeply about, or a family member… but are there ever times when you go to heroic lengths and then regret it?
It happens… in business and in life.
So how do you know, in the thick of things, when to keep on pushing toward the finish line and when to cut your losses?
I once had a consulting arrangement force me to think this through. It was early in my consulting career and I needed work. I had accepted a percentage contract, believing that I could help make their business profitable and secure payment then. Clearly, our intitial discussions indicated a felt need for process consulting help. Yet after a few months of learning their products, spending time with the staff, and working on process improvement, I realized that what was needed extended well beyond management consulting.
I had worked on many successful long-term projects over the years and they felt much different to me. There was more commitment to taking action, not just an expectation whtat I would provide easy answers. There were resources (albeit limited ones) dedicated to accomplishing the work. Finally, there were various team-members rolling up their sleeves to make things better. Whether we agreed on the course of action or not, there was a critical mass of stakeholders committed to improvement of some kind.
So how do you know when it is time to cut your losses?
For me the realization came the night I found myself lying awake, worrying about my client’s business and realized that really I should have been worrying about my own at that point. I had been pouring a lot of time and effort into a job that was not going to pay off.
What about preventing these kinds of situations?
In the consulting business, there are frequently opportunities that are not a good fit and it is important to pass them up in favor of the right ones. Sometimes the best course of action is to refer a prospective client to someone else, whose expertise is better suited to his or her needs, or subcontract for specialized help. Sometimes you have to get past the presenting problem and spend a little time with the organization before you realize what is really going on, exposure that is tough to get without entering into a contractual arrangement. This is why it is important to screen prosepctive clients up front.
It’s like dating in a way. You don’t want to miss out on Mr. Right because you were tied up with Mr. Right now!
So it occasionally makes sense, even when business is slow, to pass on certain opportunities and focus on other things. Work with other clients and prospects. Do some writing. Refine your processes and methods. Arrange speaking opportunities and look for other prospects. Get clear about what kinds of clients you want to work with. Check your strategic plan and long term goals against the actions you are taking. In doing so you make yourself more valuable to the next qualified client.
What is a qualified client? That depends on your business, what you bring to the table, and what you are willing and able to do. For me it is an organization or an entrepreneur who has a solid business model but needs process refinement and/or help with social and strategic concerns. It’s not enough to simply be open-minded and curious. You need to be able to embrace out of the box thinking and confident enough to take action. That requires a stable business to begin with.
What does your ideal customer look like?
I chose king fish pose to illustrate this post because not only is it a backbend, it is a heart opener and changes your perspective as you bring the crown of your head to the mat.
So bend over backwards for clients! Give them 100% effort, but look at each prospect from from all angles before committing.
So what about you? Have you ever bent over backwards and regretted it? What did you learn?
What about those times when it was worth the effort and then some? Can you cultivate the latter?
Copyright, Gly Solutions, LLC 2015
