There is a difference between being proactive and being reactive. Most of us are spectacular at being reactive. When the client calls with an issue, we jump on it with both feet. But we’re not so hot at taking initiative. Do you do enough to bring your clients new ideas, to continually push them forward?
Want to be a level-four value creator? Here are six ideas you can use to be more proactive, to take initiative, and to become your client’s strategic advantage.
What is the one thing that would produce the biggest improvement for your clients—were they to take action on it now? Write the presentation and the plan to gain the commitments to explore this big idea together—and to eventually gain the commitments to move it forward.
Where should you and your client be going together over the next 3, 6, 12, and 24 months? What does the future look like? How do you get there? Write the plan and show your client their personal, customized roadmap so you can begin to move towards that future together.
What ideas have you seen from outside of one of your client’s industries that could be adopted by another client in a separate industry to produce greater results? Schedule an appointment to share those ideas with your client, explaining how you think the idea from some other industry may benefit them. Make sure to include the ways that you create value in other industries as part of your sharing.
What is the one idea that your client has continually rejected that could be reframed to make it easier to agree to and adopt? How can you reframe that idea? Sit down with a smart group of people and think through the ways you can implement that idea. Find a way to help your clients overcome their internal constraints and resistance.
Write and present a completely unsolicited proposal. What completely unsolicited idea could you present? What can you show your client that aren’t expecting. Make sure it’s something that will create value for them, then go and present it.
Identify a threat your client’s results and share ideas about eliminating that threat or mitigating the risk. What threatens your client’s results? Are there legislative changes, societal changes, technological changes, or changes to their industry that you can help them get in front of? What can you do to help them deal with these threats and risks now, protecting them from future harm?
Questions
Are you proactive enough to be a level-four value creator? Or are you predominately reactive?
Do you continually share new ideas with your clients? Or do you get complacent?
Are you doing the work of finding new ideas to create value for you clients?
What are you giving your clients that’s worth talking about?
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