Building true, long-lasting professional relationships with your clients takes a lot of work – but will pay off for you in the end.
I recently made a move that my wife has been trying to talk me into, and friends swore would be good for me. I’ve resisted for years because, as an engineer-turned-marketer who is more-than-moderately OCD, consistency makes me happy. (Author’s note: What I call consistency is often called procrastination by others.) But there comes a point in some relationships where a change is best.
So, after nearly 40 years with the same company, I canceled my cable TV service.
When is enough enough? My final straw was the latest “There’s been a change in your billing” email that raised my monthly rate to three times the monthly payment on my first car. No advance notice, no little note that said a hike was coming. Just, “Here you go, we appreciate your business!”
A quick Google search showed that one of this company’s corporate values is “customer focus.” Uh, huh. And, I know, I could have called and asked if there was a way they could lower it. And they would have done it with a two-year commitment, after which the increase cycle would begin once again. Not my first cable rodeo.
But here’s the deal. Rather than saying, “You’ve been a loyal customer since the Reagan administration and, as our thanks, we’d like to offer you the deal that we offer our new customers to lower your payment,” they put the onus on me to initiate the ask. It’s a one-way, transactional relationship. I pay, they provide service, end of story.
However, the AEC industry is about relational relationships built on respect, trust, and empathy. Right? Hmm.
Do these emails sound familiar? “Hey, Brad, I’m Ross with ABC Widgets. I took a look at the great projects on your website and it looks like you’re responsible for widgets at Wallace Design Collective. I think ABC would be a fantastic partner for you in your widgeting needs. Here’s a link to my calendar. Please take a look and let me know when you can meet. Looking forward to it!”
“Hey, Brad, I just wanted to bump this up to the top of your inbox. I’m convinced that ABC can help Wallace achieve their widget goals. Would you have time for a 15-20 minute call this week? Click the calendar link and let me know.”
“Hey, Brad, I don’t want to pester you. Since you haven’t replied to my previous emails, there might be a better person at Wallace to talk to about widgets. Let me know who that might be, and I’ll reach out to them. Thanks!”
“Hey, Brad. I get it if this isn’t a good time to talk widgets. Please reply and let me know when a good time in the future would be to reach out again.”
Put the relation in relationship. I’m sure there are a lot of people who think this is a great approach to business development. Maybe it is for some. But to my mind, importing a list of mined contacts into a lead-generating email program lacks effort. It’s automated spam-calling without the charm of a recorded message. Ross has absolutely no idea if I’m the best person at Wallace to discuss widgets. He’s electronically throwing stuff at a wall to see what sticks. There’s no investment there. The only way things move forward is if I respond. If I don’t, I just receive the next email.
The AEC industry should be based on real relationships. But real relationships take work. A lot of work. Way more work than purchasing a contact list. As I noted above, this involves:
- Respect. It starts with putting in the time to research who you want to reach out to. Learning what their firm does and what makes it tick. Digging into common histories, values, and vision. Determining if there’s mutual opportunity in the relationship for both parties. Then, it takes a commitment to making both companies better for the long term. It takes time to build, but the reward is worth it. Done well, relational relationships last for years because both parties like working together.
- Trust. Really great relationships are built on trust. They go way beyond simply exchanging services. Great relationships are those where each side knows that the other has its back. There’s a healthy give-and-take, and both sides are committed to the other’s success.
- Empathy. Participants in a relational relationship each care about the well-being of the other; not simply financial, but for the longevity and success of the other’s team. They genuinely like working together and take the slings and arrows that come with caring. But, again, it has to be reciprocal. If one side takes too much, the relationship will suffer.
I encourage all of you to work on building true, long-lasting professional relationships with your clients. It’s not easy and takes a lot of work. But it’s worth it.
Brad Thurman, PE, FSMPS, CPSM, is a principal and chief marketing officer at Wallace Design Collective, PC. Contact him at brad.thurman@wallace.design.