service provider, my experiences – and studies of the writings of reputable others – have taught me that in order to excel in serving clients, one must continually strive to be a Consummate Professional (CP).
I describe a CP as an expert who passionately – but intelligently – channels his/her quality time, effort, and resources towards supporting (and empowering) clients to do what they do better.
This is something I’ve done for years – and I happen to do it quite well too. So well in fact, that I’ve built long term friendships with many clients, most of who have never even met me in the flesh – yet they tell others good things about me!
Let me explain what being a Consummate Professional entails – based on what I do:
1. Thinking like a Consummate Professional
You will actively devote quality time and intellectual effort to thinking up new and creative ideas to help him/her get optimal value from his/her investment in your services.
This can be hard for many experts, because most of us tend to settle into a formal routine for doing what we do.
So once we get hired, we just pull up our template and fit the client in, then do it.
The truth is however that every client, being a unique human being, will often be better served, with a unique and original solution tailored to meet his/her stated needs.
I’ve found that doing that never faills to wow the serious minded results focused clients I work with.
That’s why I recommend that you do it as well.
2. Acting like a Consummate Professional
In this regard, you will seek every opportunity that presents itself, to communicate insights your “thinking” generates, to the client, subtly coaching and nudging him/her to use them to advance in the direction of the goal(s) s/he has told you s/he wants.
You will also relentlessly prepare and deliver to the client, every single benefit you promised him/her at sign up.
You will do all of that – without fail – regardless of whether or not s/he remembers the exact details of what you promised to deliver, or what was agreed.
But that’s not all…
Probably the most important aspect of acting like a Consummate Professional will be your demonstrated commitment to CONTINUE doing all of the above no matter what goes wrong.
In other words, you would do this regardless of any ups and downs that may happen in your relations with the client, or indeed with other clients/persons – including family.
That sounds easier than it really is to do. I say this from years of doing it!
It takes deep passion and a steely brand of integrity to do it as described above – especially when things are not going too well in other aspects of your life.
Imagine for instance, having to finish a book writing project before the deadline in a 2 week period, when you’ve run badly short of cash needed to keep things going smoothly on the home front.
This can be quite hard to deal with, especially if you have dependants e.g a spouse/kids leaning on you for financial support.
That, as you can undoubtedly imagine, – can make CONTINUING to be a CP in the mould I recommend here, much harder!
Trust me when I say this…
I’ve been there countless times, and I can tell you it takes major mental stamina to keep doing a good job under such stressful psychological circumstances!
Then if – on top of that – you find yourself having domestic problems or worse – unexpected setbacks with regard to work related resources (e.g your computer develops a fault or crashes!) – it can feel like the whole world is against you.
When it gets that bad, if you’re superstitious (like some people are), you might even begin to imagine “evil” forces controlled by persons who dislike you are responsible 
Let me tell you this: No matter how you feel about difficulties you’re going through, it is never wise to let it affect the work you do, if yiu can help it.
What’s more, you are unlikely to end up okay if you choose to tell your client you’re having such problems.
Why?
Because your private affairs have little to do with him/her. S/he is not paying you to come tell him/her stories about what’s not working for you. Instead s/he is expecting you to SOLVE his/her problem as agreed – and for which s/he is paying.
That’s not to say s/he won’t sympathize with you, if you told him/her. It’s just that THAT will not address the need s/he felt strongly enough to hire you to meet in the first place.
What I do, and recommend to others is: go ahead, no matter how hard it gets, and finish the job to the client’s satisfaction, BEFORE (if at all ever) mentioning such problems to him/her.
You see, your competence as a professional will reflect in the way you manage yourself in tough times, while delivering your service to the client.
a truly CP would do it so well that the would never be the wiser!
Guess what?
If you suceed in doing that to the very end, you’ll emerge a much stronger person, with even greater ability to do the same thing again and again – for that client, and others.
The best part is you’ll also end up with a string of satisfied clients, raving about your ability to deliver what you promise unfailingly. That kind of reputation has a way of attracting new and repeat business – which in turn has a way of helping to resolve problems one has in other areas of life e.g low/no cash etc!