I’m reading ‘The Speed of Trust’ by Stephen Covey Jr. It’s a great book. The basic premise is that everything happens faster within organizations where there’s trust. Time is money, so organizations that don’t engender trust burn through more cash to accomplish the same amount as their more trustworthy competitors.
It got me to thinking about how we at acSellerant might help our MSP clients build trust with their prospects. Using Covey’s universal tenets, I’ve come up with the following guidelines:
Talk Straight
Tell the truth. Be transparent. Work hard to communicate clearly so people understand exactly what to expect. Communications can get foggy for many reasons. What I see most are these three:
- You’re rushed – slow down, make the time, think it through. It’ll save time in the long run.
- You don’t completely understand the function/process/technology yourself – do your homework. Don’t communicate to the client until you’re confident you understand.
- You understand a complex function/process/technology very well – be aware that the client may not be as versed in it. Slow down. Don’t use jargon or acronyms.
Right Wrongs
Mistakes happen. When they do, come clean immediately, apologize, and make it right. See what you can do to prevent the mistake from reoccurring.
Get Better
This is one I think most MSPs do well. They have the systems and the metrics in place, and they’re constantly trying to improve service levels. That’s great, but your clients are probably unaware of it. Think about things from their perspective. You know that fewer help desk calls means more profitability for you. The case can be made that fewer help desk calls also means better profitability (or at least productivity) for your clients. If you have stats that show you’ve brought the number of help desk calls down over time, SHARE THEM with your clients, and connect the dots for them re increased productivity.
How many other metrics that you work to improve can be framed as a benefit to your clients?
Listen First
We all know this is important, but most of us don’t practice it as often as we should.
Covey has thirteen tenets, but I think if you put the four I’ve listed above into practice 100% of the time, the rest will take care of itself.
Tags: acSellerant, execution, MSP, trusted advisor
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Good post, Bob. Thanks for bringing my attention to Covey’s new book. These same lessons apply in B2B social media too. It’s been said that trust is the currency of the 21st century. See ya’ online, Bob!
Joan,
I believe that’s true. We are a global village, and we must learn to develop trust via our digital relationships. The upside is we can do business with people all over the world without ever leaving our offices. And we can do business from wherever we choose to be.
Thanks for the comment.
Bob
I like the premise of the article. It seems to me the hardest part of building trust is ensuring that actions match the words being used. It is easy to say you will do something. Much harder to follow through and deliver on it, especially if it will cost you some dollars or extra effort to do it.
Absolutely. Always do what you say you’re going to do. And always make things right… even if it turns a profitable deal into an unprofitable one. The good will and positive word of mouth will more than compensate for the loss.