… I could learn to hate you.

I am a business coach and consultant and I have clients of all shapes and sizes. One of client’s, after a particular difficult meeting stated: “I could learn to hate you.”

It was not said with contempt, distain, derision or hate but simply an expression of the frustration he was feeling because I challenged his beliefs, and goals to help him achieve the outcomes he desired. I am sure this was difficult for him to hear.

Before I go further, I should state this gentleman has been a client for five years. I helped him sell his company, terminate employees, get his first book published, build his consulting practice and a number of other accomplishments. So our relationship is deep and strong and I am proud that he felt safe enough to say this to me, even if he was joking.

But it got me to thinking: am I being too hard on him? He pays me well for my honesty, experience, and sound approach to business. I thought long and hard about this and I realized I was doing the job he was paying me to do: provide honest and objective feedback, constructive criticism, support, and help in helping him with his business. He must appreciate it because he is still my client and we are working on our next project together. I realized his comment is why he is a client and not a customer.

A customer pays money for a product. The exchange occurs and the relationship is over. A client is someone who I have a moral obligation to, someone I invest in – to help them grow as a person.

Like most people, I have a strong need to be liked. This need is not so strong that is clouds my judgment or my obligation to clients but sometimes it does not feel good to have some say that “I could learn to hate you” to me. But why it is being said I am very proud that is was said. It means I am doing what I set out to do when I started doing coaching and consulting: make a difference and help others achieve greater success.

Everything I do in my business, from the classes I teach, to the workshop I run to the coaching and consulting, is centered on nine behaviors that successful business owners implement. These behaviors are not limited to business, but for our purposes that is where I will focus them. They are: selfishness (defined as intelligent self interest), ownership, and focus on results, people skills, persistence, discipline, focus, action and ideas. Depending on the application, they can be applied in every aspect of business. What I find interesting is that by implementing these nine behaviors, people start to feel good about themselves, what they accomplished and they strive to become more both personally and professionally.

After some long and deliberate thought and discussion with a few friends, I decided I am not going to change my style. It works to well for my clients and that is all I want.

Ron Finklestein
330-990-0788
Info@yourbusinesscoach.net

To learn more how I drive these behaviors with my clients go to www.ronfinklestein.com and read about my Business Mastery Advisory Boards.