My Thinking
Pink Elephants
Tell it like it is!
Combine that with tact and a little intelligence and you have a well-respected businessperson.
So why don’t more people tell it like it is? Why is the pink elephant in the conference room so rarely acknowledged?
To be an effective client partner, account people need to take this courageous leap. It won’t always work out, but you’ll find out who your best clients, coworkers and managers are.
If you have a bad meeting, acknowledge it! Make light of it and change the mood.
“Hey, I don’t think you got much out of this meeting with me. After sleeping on it, this is what we should have accomplished instead…”
If your client calls your boss to complain about you, don’t ignore it the next time you meet.
“Hey, I know you’re upset about X. I feel really bad about it and this is what we’ll do going forward to fix it…
If your client is waffling over a decision – focusing on a tree instead of the forest – give them a little kick them in the pants. To many organizations have paralysis by analysis.
“To be honest, your customers won’t care about this detail. Let’s pick one and move on.”
Pink elephants. They don’t like to linger in the corner, invisible.
What are your best examples?
