It seems obvious that we should all be honest with our clients, yet in practice it is often all too easy to avoid a problem with the use of a lie or by omission. There are many aspects of having a successful client relationship. Honesty is one of the most important.
The Importance of Being Honest with your Clients
It seems obvious that we should all be honest with our clients, yet in practice, it is often all too easy to avoid a problem with the use of a lie or by omission. There are many aspects of having a successful client relationship. Honesty is one of the most important.
Trust in client relationships
All too often we are tempted to side-step potential issues with clients or their projects by ‘bending the truth’. Beyond the ethical issues of this are the repercussions. When a client catches their contractor in a falsehood trust is broken. From that point on the client will be watching and questioning every move you make. This will slow workflow and make relations with the client difficult to say the least. From this point it is a slippery slope until the relationship ends.
Sharing your opinions
It’s easy to listen to your clients and give them exactly what they request. However, it is important to remember who the expert is. Clients pay for results not platitudes. When a client suggests something that you know is not best practice it is your job to let them know why that is a bad idea. Remember though, it’s important to keep them feeling involved, listened to and respected. Consider replying with something like: ”Wow that’s a great idea, unfortunately I don’t think that will work. What if we do this instead?”.
It’s not just your reputation
Being honest isn’t about your reputation, it’s about your business’. The fallout of a client who feels they have been lied to can go beyond the working relationship. They may choose to share their experience with your business online or interpersonally with friends and colleagues. This can result in the loss of other clients and difficulties in finding new ones.
About David
As Digital Marketing Director I am responsible for all traditional marketing activities & for developing customer acquisition and product sales strategies for our clients by applying best practices in SEM, SEO, PPC, E-Newsletters, Web design and development.