I think sometimes in our efforts to succeed, complete a project, get a new account, Gig, etc …we sort of lie to ourselves and inadvertently to those we mean to help and work with.

Summit fever, it’s insidious and it can cost you big!

I’m assuming that competency and delivery are not an issue. So it is fervor and the desire to be Social what I’d like to briefly discuss.

There is nothing more right with the world than to sit down and speak your mind as to what the realities of the project/situation are and what potential solutions apply. No sales pitch, no politics, no worries about what the client may or may not think of you. We know no one likes it when someone calls their baby ugly, but that is not what we are doing.

What is our primary responsibility? -To establish a relationship for the sake of being social, which entails that we emphasize and focus on being well liked – Or to as clearly as possible establish and communicate a framework on which your new acquainted relationship can count on for the success of their business or personal endeavors?  I’m not suggesting that it needs to be either or. But I think the balanced mix needs to favor the later.

Sometimes we have to call it as it is and just let the cement dry.

When I said that we sort of lie to ourselves I don’t mean it from the perspective that we are hacks or incompetent. But from the perspective that if you sugar coat a particular aspect of a project, your client will believe you. Now you have to work twice as hard to communicate  [more like, justify]  any particular setbacks or processes that will be necessary to implement but that you weren’t clear on from the very beginning. All in the name of securing the job first and worrying about communicating the necessary points and preliminary details later.

Here are some basic rules that I follow:

1. Understand needs and what is being asked of you.

2. It’s not the client’s responsibility to communicate correctly, it’s our’s to properly understand and communicate back.

3. We must spend time studying their business model.

4. Don’t say you can help, until you are sure that you can.

5. Again!  Spend time studying their business model!

6. Be clear and precise in explaining the vital elements of the proposed framework and how it compares to the present one.

7. It is also our responsibility to manage expectations. But we won’t have to do much of it if we communicate properly from the beginning.

8. Do not take the job if potential clients disagree with your assessment. It’s better for everyone!

…and as always happens to me I’ll remember something to add or delete the moment I hit “publish”