Today I feel inspired to appreciate all the amazing connections I have with many of my clients and by extension, give you the opportunity to do so as well.
I love that what begins as an ‘official’ work engagement can turn into a beautiful and warm relationship that feels no different to the ones I have with close friends and family. I feel truly blessed to have these client connections which also support my livelihood.
I think this is the point I’m feeling today …
Why should there be separate relationship levels for different types of people in the various areas of my life? Why should I care more about a friend than my work client? Why should I have varying standards rather than a single one I hold for all? Surely that would simplify things right?
I’ve spoken about equality before and this feels like yet another layer of that. I am well known for being an affable, go-with-the-flow sort of guy. As I ponder this, I feel it stems from treating everyone as a close friend. Everyone equally and doing this right up front, from the start. No warm-up or foreplay, just open and transparent from the get-go. This means from the first phone call of a new prospect, right through to the clients I’ve had for years.
We obviously have different levels of responsibility to different people in our lives. We will be different with our spouse compared to the local butcher down the road, but what I’m suggesting is having a single standard of openness with everyone we meet. Is that even possible in a world that feels more divided than ever?
Is it really possible to treat everyone truly equally?
I know this might seem like a difficult concept for many but I feel it’s our true nature to be this way. However, over time we get conditioned to segment our lives and the people in them. We put up barriers due to past hurts and disappointments but these only serve to further our separation. If we are truly going to heal the divides of this world, we better get started close to home.
Why waste time by being guarded or calculating how much we can give? There is so much richness waiting in all of our relationships if we are game. Once we open to this idea our work/client relationships can take on a whole new level of connection.
I’d love to hear your feelings on this and how you treat your clients. What are the relationships like and how have they grown. Importantly how are you with your clients and is there room to open up more and deepen them?