When the call comes to do potential work for a new client we start with “Why.” It’s not the only question but a good place to start. “Why” gets the business and those usually charged with communications to open up. We have our listening hats on at this stage. We’re listening to language, selecting words, hearing tone, and, if we’re in the same room, we’re observing body language and colleague interaction. Why do they think they need a new strategy, a new website, a better e-commerce platform, an email marketing campaign, SEO, PPC? Why do they need new corporate literature? We provide all these services, but why do these new clients feel they need one or several of these? We listen and we learn. Shhhhh!
Clients love to talk about their businesses.
They spend most of their time working, SO LET THEM TALK. We observe, nod, take notes, and be quiet. There will be plenty of time for us to espouse “our knowledge” and talk about “our why.” After all, we are a business and we like to talk, too. Relationships need to simmer. Let it simmer. It’s not about control. It’s about empathy. An old friend and wicked-smaat strategist at What’s the Idea in New York regularly refers to his background in anthropology as bringing appropriate procedural structure to his work. He’s right. Quiet patient observation and dot connecting is the order of the day.
FirstTracks has some long-in-the-tooth characters blended with digital yutes (My Cousin Vinny reference). We’re business people helping businesses. We can’t help if we don’t shut up and listen. We have run businesses, managed growth, hired/fired, developed products, succeeded and failed.
So our “Why”. . .We’ve got the tactical talent (as do so many others), but it’s the biz experience ingredients blended with that empathy gene that makes our souffle rise.
We’d like to listen to you. Give us a call, 603-924-1978 or contact us.
