Page 192 - Executive Warfare

EXECUTIVE W ARF ARE

If Emily puts herself in the running for a job with another organiza-
tion, she will probably need a reference from somebody who is going to
be discreet. This is an interesting dilemma. Do you provide that reference
or not?
On the one hand, if she gets the job,
you could lose your point of entry to a
NEVER DISCUSS major client. On the other hand, if your
YOUR people have done their work well, the
ORGANIZATION’S organization will probably keep you on
INTERNAL ISSUES anyway.And you may very well wind up
WITH A CLIENT. IF getting business from a new client, once
THE CLIENT TURNS the grateful Emily moves to the new
ON YOU, IT CAN BE organization.
USED AGAINST If you offer your clients good advice
YOU. and help their careers along, they will
come to trust you not only as a busi-
nessperson, but also as a person. And
when something gets screwed up—as it inevitably will—or a new oppor-
tunity arises, that trust may make all the difference.
The fourth way to keep clients happy is to help them solve problems,
not just in their businesses and careers, but also in their lives. This is not
so different from motivating key employees: Treat them as human beings,
and use your influence to help them. Tell your senior staff that if there’s
something serious going on with one of the clients—a kid gets hurt, some-
body dies, or somebody’s sick—you want to know in order to lend a hand.
It’s particularly important to do personal favors if you are like me and
are utterly unwilling to waste a nice afternoon playing golf with a client.
So get the chit system rolling.
I once had a client who, when I asked how he was, replied, “Not too
great. My daughter spent the weekend in her room crying.” His daughter
had just gotten rejection letters from a handful of private high schools in
Los Angeles. She was a smart kid, but admission was very competitive, and

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