Getting Naked: A Business Fable about Shedding the Three Fears that Sabotage Client Loyalty
By: Patrick Lencioni
Momentum Review By: Michael Gottlieb, Esq.
Patrick Lencioni is a strategic management consultant and keynote speaker specializing in executive team development and organizational health. He is also author to many books relating to professional development and alternative business strategies. In his business fable, Getting Naked, Lencioni illuminates his approach to client relationships and how to offer more value for clients in a real and vulnerable way. Lencioni stresses the importance of accepting what you don’t know, and instead of making excuses when things don’t go as planned, listening to the client’s needs, and offering solutions that get to the heart of the problem, issue, or pursuit.
Learning How to Shed the Three Fears that Sabotage Client Loyalty
Throughout his fable, Lencioni guides the reader through his strategies for how to let go of what he believes to be conventional consulting practice and demonstrates, through storytelling, how to approach consulting/client relationships from an entirely new angle. There are three fears that most professionals commonly experience when managing client relations:
- Fear of Losing the Business
- Fear of Being Embarrassed
- Fear of Feeling Inferior
These three primal fears hold back professionals from establishing true connections with clients. To illustrate this effect, Lencioni uses the story of Jack Bauer and his experience working with Lighthouse Consulting to show how one can transform themselves to shed these three fears and tackle any corporate matter with a sense of optimism and humility. Lencioni suggests that the best approach may be the most counterintuitive. For example, instead of doing a typical sales pitch, he proposes to start solving the client’s problems from day one and provide value that is undeniable. In letting go of the need to “sell your talents”, Lencioni shows how clients will feel more at ease while working with you when you don’t expect anything in return, show your vulnerabilities, and provide value.
The Momentum Approach
As entrepreneurs grow their enterprises, they cultivate and maintain client relationships to expand their network and business. Working with clients is crucial in every step of the entrepreneurial process and one that cannot be overlooked or seen as an after-thought. By developing approaches to client relationships that work best for you and your business model, you will be able to provide what your clients want and need in an effective manner.
