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We’ve talked about getting out there on a marketing front to take advantage of business opportunities in a downturn.  Now let’s focus on what to do if you’re a client-centered professional or consultant.

It’s easy to read the papers and the stock ticker and notice the phone has gone quiet.  It gets tempting to go out for extended lunches or decide now is the perfect time to rearrange your office furniture.  Fear makes us freeze. 

Now is the time for you to be create even more value with your clients.  Step through any hesitation- your own business and your clients need your leadership right now.

1. Get closer to key clients: Short of a full market turnaround - which no matter how much they pour in the system isn’t going to come tomorrow - there is nothing more calming to your biggest clients than you being “present and accounted for”.

2. Tune up interactions with future clients. Quality of the agenda, quality of the dialogue, quality of follow-up. One of our Coaching clients in the investment business has implemented a steady voice and her referrers went way up immediately.

3. Tune the message to be relevant “now”: How can you help your clients batten the hatches AND keep appropriate tension moving forward?

4. Tailor your correspondence: Make clear and direct connections between their business priorities and your Solutions.Make the ongoing business a bit more energetic. Acknowledge the worst case and don’t lose sight of the best case. Increase call and meeting discipline.

5. Work together: Clients’ business objectives are more important than ever - and they will shift and stay dynamic.  Collaborate on identifying needs and building relevant solutions.

Stop looking down the black hole.  Instead focus on your key relationships and the value you can bring.

I wrote last week- a favorite rant - about the importance of practice in building repeatable excellence.

A short form way of referring to “repeatable excellence” - let’s say “Tiger” as in Tiger Woods. Tiger could be your power animal. I love those Accenture www.accenture.com magazine ads… I want to save every one… “90% straight line > 10% go with the flow”. Go to the website and you can check them out… they are on a rotating pattern.

The Fewest Things To Make The Most Difference

What surgical insight did the Business Week from last week’s post give us?

• Practice is a critical differentiator. Yeah, yeah.
• Work hard is critical. Yeah, yeah.
• Different practice is the key. Okay, now I’m listening.

One of the keys to practice is that you become capable enough in the behavior that you can “play” and “observe” and still be present.

Follow the flow…

Practice creates solid foundations.

Solid foundations creates repeatability.

Consistency creates trust - in your organization, with your clients, with future clients.

Consistency creates the opportunity to observe and adjust to situational differences. Instantaneously.

Adaptation - innovation - creativity - that’s what powerfully ”spices” your consistency.

Observation creates quality feedback so the baseline is adjusted and the innovation can become part of the repertoire.

Be Your Best… you tiger!