Here’s a phrase you should never say to a client, “I’ll pick
you up in my beamer.” Why? Well, if a client knows you are doing well, the
client is going to ask for a discount. Further, that client may not pay his or
her bills on time and may even become spiteful at your success while he waits
for clippings to pour in.
I recently overheard a competing agency rep yap about his
nude weekend in the Bahamas with a certain celebrity. Then he talked about his
beamer collection, how much cash he dropped in a Vegas strip club coming back
from the Bahamas, and then about his potential addiction to Valium. By right,
his client- who was on the receiving end of this conversation- had every right
to not only be worried about the account rep’s performance with his campaign,
but to foster concern about where his retainer was really going!
I wanted to briefly touch on knowing your manners around
clients tonight. We spend a lot of time with our clients. Sometimes we are left
spending more time with our clients versus our friends and family. While we may feel a stronger bond with
clients because of this, the professional boundary lines should never be crossed.
I am hopeful you use the conversation example I overheard to
discuss appropriate fodder with your client reps when it comes to being close
and how much information is too much information. Not only can TMI
conversations cost you clients and money, they can be legally liable too.
Until tomorrow,
Coco the CEO
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