Do you have any rules of engagement with your clients –
guidelines of how you will work together?
Well maybe you need one.
At our Kitchener breakfast during introductions, Jennifer
Roggemann, a local lawyer who had switched to focus on immigration law, shared
what she tells clients at the outset. It
was so good, that several of us asked her to repeat it, so we could write it
down.
So here are the ABCs that she’s developed:
A Admit you need
help. Reach out and ask for it
B Be
engaged. This is your life, not mine
C Come
clean. I need to know all the pertinent
facts if I am going to represent you.
And you can see how relevant these particular conditions are
– not just for a legal practice, but a counseling one or any other business
where you are helping someone.
So it started me thinking about what the ABCs would be for
Company of Women – and of course, I came up with many. Here’s my first attempt at it.
A Attend. Be an active
member, get involved. Ask how you can help someone else.
B Be
authentic. Forget the aggressive sales
pitch, it just doesn’t work in this group. Build
relationships instead.
C Connect
with one another – personally and professionally. People do business with people
they know and trust. We are a community of women who care about each other.
What would
your ABCs stand for? It’s actually quite
a useful exercise to go through as it
makes you
focus and narrow in on what is important.
My thanks to
Jennifer for sharing her story and creating an opportunity for us to think
beyond our
usual definition of our business.