Highlights:
- Asking questions and providing conversational transparency has never been more important.
- No room to read? Utilize the chat ‘room’ tools and features for more coherence.
- Symbiotic, value-added business relationships need to communicate more than ever before.
Client relationships have been stressed in the mass migration to WFH. This is an understatement since every fabric of what we ‘knew’ has been strained to numerous extents. The soft side of businesses is experiencing fractures (soft skills of business/psychology dynamic sales, client relations, etc.). This is a pain point for local business professionals to everyone at the Big Four.
What used to be a team of sharp, suited individuals visiting and providing an intimate, consultative experience is no more. There can be arguments that the era of WFH has slowly been dissolving this business practice/cohort, but Covid19 – like most things – has only accelerated it.
What does this mean? Paying for analysis/labor that leads to understanding, business strategy, and peace of mind is valuable. Without the power of in-person communication (pivotal in the role of storytelling and coherence) business teams can no longer read the room. This poses complications for the buyer and vendor. Understandably, both parties need to adjust to meet towards a new equilibrium.
Reaching this 'new normal' will take time and iterations. Additionally, the intentions of reaching this equilibrium will need to be explicit by both parties in order to achieve a new, symbiotic relationship. Adam Grant - a leader in business psychology - spoke to the World Economic Forum this month and highlighted some phenomenal points in how to handle this adjustment for employees (more found here).
While his musings are more general, there are a few that apply to the client/partner relationship being discussed here:
There now needs to be more inertia behind the ‘soft skills’ of business than ever before. Symbiotic business relationships exist and will need to require more communication to pivot appropriately. This is even more evident when you are dealing with different values, cultures, and people in international business.
Value is dynamic. It falls on both the vendor and client to change the idea of value (may need a thorough conversation depending on contract language) being executed between the two parties. With proper preparation and execution, some teams may even come out of this turbulent time with even stronger relationships that can last for years to come.
Please reach out and message me about any initiatives you are taking in order to create a new definition of value and productivity between you and your clients. Above all, please stay safe and healthy everyone.
Best,
BSBA Marketing Research | Minors Data Analytics & Spanish