How to REALLY put
Move beyond the cliché and change y While we pay lip service to the ide a of ‘put ting the customer first,’ few companies truly do. Often, we are so concerned with bottom lines, profit margins and paying bills that we instinctively put ourselves first. As counterintuitive as it may seem, Joseph Callaway, who, along with his wife, JoAnn, is the author of the book Clients First: The Two Word Miracle (Wiley, October 2012, ISBN: 978-1-1184127-7-0, $21.95), says that anxious sense of self-preservation may be exactly what is holding you back.
“When you really put the customer first, and put your own needs second, other things naturally fall into place,” notes Callaway. “Tough decisions practically make themselves. Since you are no longer pitting the client’s needs against your own, relationships are based on transparency and honesty. People like and trust you and referrals flow freely.”
10 | CONSTRUCTION ECONOMIST | www.ciqs.org | Fall 2013
Step One: Make the commitment ‘Commitment’ can be a scary word. It implies that you have accepted responsibility, that you are ‘locked in,’ and (sometimes) that you have given up an aspect of your freedom. For those reasons, most commitments should not be taken lightly. But, here is the good news: Because sincere commitments require you to step up and take a stand, they often lead to great things.
HOW-TO HINT: Give yourself a week to think it through before you decide. A no is better than a quick yes and a shallow commitment. Ask yourself: What will my life really look like when I put customers first? Will I have to work later, take client calls at home, or have conversations that veer into ‘personal’ territory? If you do not like what you envision, do not make the commitment.
