My Least Favorite Word in the English Language

Ideba is in the business of keeping clients happy and making real connections with people we work for. As I push on towards close to a decade spent working for Ideba, I have learned to despise one word above all others in the context of talking to clients. That word is: No.

In the whirlwind that is professional marketing, client requests, expectations, and hopes for what can be accomplish are often ambitious. It might be that an already short turnaround time gets cut even shorter… maybe a client needs to talk early in the morning and live in a time-zone that forces you to have already had coffee by 4:00 AM…

Despite the scenario, I have found that saying, “No” is never acceptable; and before you scream “work/life balance” at me, let me explain further.

In today’s professional climate, flexibility is the name of the game and business strategy is more of an art than a science. When the going gets tough, what tools and resources do you have at hand to raise to the occasion? At Ideba, we have staff to step in and unburden bandwidth issues; we have technology to allow virtual face-to-face meetings any time; and of course, we have close client relationships that allow for transparent, amicable discussion about what is possible and what is not.

My advice to anyone going into client service is to challenge yourself, in the face of seemingly impossible client requests and expectations, to ask what you can say instead of “No” that will be a win/win for you and your client – meeting their needs, maximizing client satisfaction, ensuring profitability, all while strengthening professional ties.

Do you have any suggestions on how to ensure that even the most demanding clients walk away happy? Let us know by leaving a comment on our LinkedIn page.

– Lee Sumner, Sr. Research Manager