Self-Devpt. Nuggets™

A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing" – Oscar Wilde

One lesson I have learned the hard way is that not all clients value getting served with passion.

Let me explain why I say so.

While an employee in Guinness Benin city, Nigeria, I would work round the clock – even as a shift brewer – almost without regard for my personal health. One day, while working this way during my days as a trainee(Year = 1995), an expatriate manager had gotten so concerned that he told me, "Tayo, there’s a world outside Guinness you know!".

But I did not relent. I would close morning shift for instance, and stay back – till nightfall – working on a spare PC developing a variety of Lotus 1-2-3 applications aimed at helping automate certain tedious report preparation processes I had identified.

Over Time I Got Recognised – And Rewarded For It.

Soon, other departments began courting me for my skills. For instance, the Utilities Manager (Shola Adeniran) got me to automate his department’s Monthly Report using Lotus 1-2-3 macros(Year = 1997). Later on, I got promoted Training & Technical Development Manager(TTDM) and was nominated to attend a six week International Brewing Course organised by the Institute and Guild of Brewing, UK(Year = 2000).

About 3 months after resuming as TTDM, I was nominated to act as Production Manager. Again I did the same thing – stayed longer, worked hard etc. My appraisals got better each year.

It is instructive to note that I only spent 7 years in Guinness. But what I achieved during that time, some had not in 14 years of working in the company!

What’s The Point I’m Making? 

You see, Guinness preached certain values to all employees. One of them was the importance of  HAVING A PASSION FOR WHAT WE DID.

That resonated very strongly with me. I keyed into it, because I believed it was important to enjoy whatever one did.

And when I began to get "tired" of the routine of paid employment; when my creative instincts began to make me feel limited; I realised I needed to launch out on my own as an entrepreneur.

But I did NOT leave my passion behind. I put it into doing what I had done in Guinness, for my clients. A good example is spreadsheet solutions development, that I now do using MS Excel-VB development.

I made a point of always Going The Extra Mile in serving clients I won over, just like I had done in paid employment.

But I soon realised that in the real world, outside paid employment, certain people – no matter their level of exposure or education – tend to abuse service delivered with that kind of passion.

1. When you charge a fee to do a job for 4 hours, and stay on longer (without charging extra) in a bid to get it right, they conclude you’re either desperate or hungry. They will refuse to see any positive intent in it. Some could even suspect you have ulterior motives for working so hard for them!

2. Even when your superior work quality is why they hired you over the next person or company, some clients will try to get you to accept LESS payment than those they left to come to you. Give in once, and you’ll never be profitable again working for them. And you know what? It never bothers them.

A Short Story To illustrate

I was once present when a client hotel’s manager was discussing with his supervisor about purchasing new toilet rolls for the hotel.

Manager said: "These things are getting more expensive. Our current supplier says a batch is now N2,500."

Supervisor replies: "Yes, that’s true. I guess their costs of production are rising. No thanks to the power supply problem among other things in our economy".

Manager: "Do you remember that there was a guy who used to supply us at N1,500 some time ago? Where is he now?"

Supervisor: "He closed down a while ago."

As I listened, I could not help saying to myself : "Of course he would close shop. When you fail to sell profitably, you can NEVER stay in business. It was only a matter of time."

My Point: Such Clients Never Think Win-Win!

Some clients, in my experience, want what they want, but don’t care how it affects the service or product provider they get it from at unfair rates. I believe in win-win relationships. Everyone should benefit!

The above is why I have a rule of subtly disengaging any client that UNREPENTANTLY subjects me to recognisable abuse, in spite of my efforts.

I once had an abusive client who refused to pay an outstanding bill say to me "You know I can stop using your software don’t you?". That was meant to be a threat to make me give in and do his bidding, without insisting on my payment. But I called his bluff…and I’ll call the bluff of anyone who is mean enough to use threats or other forms of abuse to try getting my service.

My Business Is NOT An Ego Trip. And Yours Should Not Be

I have a vision to deliver value for every paying customer, beyond what s/he pays me. My reputation in this regard already bears me out. It is therefore reasonable that I expect to get treated with equal consideration by clients I shower affection. So should YOU!

I am beginning to find that online, my passion-driven service focus works better. And this has recently made me spend more time promoting my products and services for direct sale through this channel.

It’s great to speak with people you have never met, on phone (or via email) and have them express appreciation for how you responded to their orders, and requests in relation to your work.

I however still look forward to forging lasting relationships with offline clients who continue to act with win-win dispositions in their dealings with me.

If you want to get good service, and enjoy access to it for a long time, in a friendly win-win relationship with your provider, I encourage you to "Avoid Trying To Buy Based On Price Alone From A Competent Solution Provider!"

"I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well." – Alan Greenspan