What A Client Values

One FT columnist I like reading when waiting in corporate receptions is Lucy Kellaway. She recently riffed typically irreverent thoughts on messages to give long standing clients.

I was intrigued to see her document what she considered the four things that clients valued from their suppliers above all else:

• experience
• mastery of subject matter
• diligence
• punctuality

A thought provoking quartet. Two issues immediately struck me. Introspectively, how do I myself stack up on these. Then the real kicker was … are they really the top four?

No empathy? Whither understanding? And what about problem solving?

An interesting excerise would surely be to ask your clients what they value. Using Lucy’s four as a jumping off point these could be uncovered fairly easily. Whatever they say in response you can then make plans to ensure that you shine in such areas.