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Tuminello The Client Coach
How to build strong business relationships

March 2, 2011

The Client Coach: Winning projects today takes 'a fire in the belly' of your firm

By Randy Tuminello
Special to the Journal

Have you ever noticed how slim the margin of victory can be in professional sports? At this level, the difference is mostly mental — the outcome has already been determined in the players' minds long before their feet ever touch the field. Professional athletes are pretty much on par when it comes to talent and physical conditioning. The thing that separates the great teams and players are their attitudes. One of the most important is enthusiasm. Often you hear the losing team say something like “They just wanted it more...”

The parallels between professional sports and professional services are uncanny. The margin of victory in professional services is also incredibly slim. And, although they might not like to admit it, most professionals within the same field are pretty much on par with each other in terms of technical competence and ability. Like professional sports, it often comes down to who wanted it more, or at least which one the client perceived as wanting it more.

Ultimately, client selection is based on feelings — not logic.

Over the years I have asked hundreds of clients why they selected a particular firm over their competitors. Almost without exception, I've heard feeling statements like the following:

“They seemed more interested to find out just exactly what we wanted. It just felt like a better fit.”

“I just felt more comfortable with them. They seemed more interested in doing the project than the others. You could tell by the amount of effort they put into it.”

“I had a good feeling about them. They were more enthusiastic than the other firms we interviewed.”

“The ‘chemistry' just wasn't there!”

What ultimately differentiates the winning firm? Enthusiasm. In the examples above, the victorious firm was perceived as being more interested, more concerned — in short, more enthusiastic. It wasn't about the most experience or the best qualifications. It was about which firm had enough experience and qualifications to make the client feel reasonably secure. With the security issue resolved, it boiled down to which firm was able to demonstrate the greatest genuine interest in both the client and the project.

In professional services, logic only lets you onto the playing field. Feeling is what gets you across the goal line.

Sincere enthusiasm for a project starts long before it was even conceived. It started when you first realized what you were genuinely good at, and coincidentally, what you were really passionate about. It started when your firm first wrote its mission statement and determined the kinds of projects it would dedicate itself to. It started when you first learned about the project — generally months before the interview — and grew as you dug deeper to understand the client's needs and challenges.

This is how you bring genuine enthusiasm into the interview. Like clean water from a well, enthusiasm is something you draw up to the surface that's already deep within.

So what does all this mean? You need to put an additional qualifier on your go/no go criteria. The projects you pursue must pass two tests: the “good on paper” test and the “fire in your belly” test. Think about this: Your easiest and most successful interviews are those you're most enthused about. You tend to prepare better. You're more confident. And you know you're at your very best.

If you can't bring yourself up to this level, you might as well just stay in the locker room… because the outcome has already been determined!



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