What I learned from the King’s Speech – 4 Secrets to Creating Long-Term Client Relationships
I went to the King’s Speech movie this weekend. It was a brilliant film. Here’s the synopsis:
“After the death of his father King George V and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII, Bertie who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue. After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill, the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle.”
Lionel Logue, Bertie’s tutor exemplified what it means to take a stand for your clients. He clearly demonstrated what can happen when you offer your service with total integrity, persistence and a clear belief in what is best for the person in front of you. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the movie for those of you that haven’t seen it, but here are three very important lessons that one could learn from Lionel Logue.
1. Wait until your client is really ready to do the work. The first time that Bertie comes to visit Lionel, he ends up storming out of the room. Lionel allows Bertie to leave, even though he knows that this client could make his career. He understands that Bertie must be truly ready to undergo the work.
Oftentimes as service practitioners we’ll bend over backwards to get a client to do the work. We’ll reschedule their sessions. We’ll work harder with them. We’ll even spend more of our own time trying to convince them to do the work. And normally what does this lead to? We end up becoming disgruntled with our own work, because we are spending our time focusing on the clients that aren’t really in it.
Lesson: Don’t be afraid to let a client go, if she isn’t ready to do the work now. And don’t take it personally. Everyone is on her own journey and will be touched differently by different people. Your job is to inspire, treat and motivate. It’s not to force.
2. Work with your clients on the terms that you know work best for them and for you – be clear with your boundaries. Lionel demands that Bertie come to his office. He also demands that they address one another by first names. Lionel knew that Bertie would need privacy and intimacy to improve his speech impediment. And even though he could have lost the client, he stuck to his own rules. Why? Because he knew that the most important thing was helping Bertie, not getting a new client.
Too often, we as service professionals break our own rules to make a client happy. We’ll travel to see them, even though we know they won’t pay attention in their offices. We’ll schedule appointments late in the evening, even when those aren’t the best hours to work. Or we’ll allow a client to not do certain tasks, even when those tasks are important to help her move forward.
The result? The client ends up getting half-baked results and does not become a raving fan. We end up feeling more and more bitter about the work we do.
Lesson: Your boundaries are very important. Yes, you may risk losing a client if you uphold them, but the clients who stay with you and stick to your rules will get amazing success. And they will continue to refer more clients to you.
3. Believe in your clients – even when they don’t believe in themselves. Lionel always saw the intelligence and power in Bertie. Lionel knew he could become the King. And with that support (and Bertie’s amazing family), Bertie became the King and gave the King’s Speech. We give this gift to our clients every day when we serve them. We believe in them unconditionally. Always work to see the light in your clients and the possibility that exists within them.
I know that with certain clients unconditional belief is hard at times. But I always try to find the talent in my clients even if it’s not right at the surface. Sometimes it just takes a little longer to dig out. If you find that you have a client that you don’t believe in anymore, know that this might be a signal that it’s time for her to move on. Don’t take it personally, it happens to everyone. The sooner you fill your practice with clients whose greatness you can clearly see – the happier you’ll become.
4. Don’t be afraid to say I’m Sorry. One of the sweetest scenes of the movie is when Lionel’s wife tells him to apologize to Bertie after an outburst between them. He later goes to Bertie’s home to apologize.
Often we are afraid to go the distance or try new things with our clients because we are afraid of making our clients upset or angry. But, if you are really committed to helping your clients, sometimes you may say something that doesn’t really work for them. Don’t be afraid to say I’m sorry. Apologies can go a long way towards cementing a long-term client relationship. No one said you had to be perfect.
In the end, Lionel and Bertie end up having a life-long relationship. Bertie’s speech impediment improves and he ends up finding a piece of himself that he never knew was there. This movie so clearly demonstrates that changes that can happen in people’s lives when they are guided by a really good teacher, mentor, professional or coach. And it reminded me, as I hope that it reminds you, of the reason I wake up every morning to do what we do.
