Is the Client Always Right?

This was a question that was posted in one of the LinkedIn CIO groups. There has been this age old belief in business that Customer is always right. The debate was on whether this saying still holds true because the customer/client may not be aware of the newest solution in the market and hence how can he always be right – he could be operating under limiting beliefs. Very true! 

So, should the solution provider educate the client and make him see his limited beliefs, which could essentially be costing him more money than otherwise?

While the debate raged on for sometime, it is only fair to say that as a solution provider, you might have the best solution in the world, but if you make your client look foolish, your solution will not have any buyer.

Imagine if you could steer your client away from his limiting beliefs and expand his perspectives AND make him look extremely good in the process - sounds like an ideal win-win situation. That is possible only when the client feels that it has been his idea and his decision. So, how does one achieve that?

I had a similar discussion with a wonderful coaching colleague of mine about the following example:

A Coach notices a self limiting belief in a client and believes that if that can be explored and called out, it will serve the client so much more to move forward with more resources. However, the client does not see that as a limiting belief and is uncomfortable with proceeding in that strain of discussion. What should a coach do?

One of the skills in coaching is ‘Holding a Client’s Agenda’. As coaches, we do want the best for all our clients, however, there is a difference between a well wisher and a professionally trained coach. As a coach, she is trained to let go of her agenda and be with the client without judgement. 

Using a mechanism that I call as ‘Engage & Detach’, while a coach engages with a client, she also detaches herself from the outcome and from her own assumptions – a coach does not have to prove herself right. The outcome is something that emerges from the discussion, which allows for openness and gives space to the client to explore and come to his own conclusions. That is so empowering for the client.

What if the same analogy were to be utilized in business? Most books on sales’ or client engagement say the art of selling is to influence your customers to get the desired outcome that YOU want. I have seen sales meetings/negotiations fail due to too much focus on the solution – the solution is the best in the market and hence that should automatically solve all the client’s problem.

As a solution provider, if you are focused on your agenda of what a great solution you have, the client never feels engaged – maybe the client has a more immediate issue of budget or maybe he is struggling with some office politics and his promotion is in jeopardy. The trick is to let go of your own agenda and assumptions and focus on the client’s agenda – you donot have to prove yourself right. And the deeper you explore your client’s agenda, the more you peel off the layers and you are so much closer to getting a solution that empowers the client to take some tough decisions that the client would not have otherwise taken....ENGAGE & DETACH!