The Deaf, Dumb and Blind Client

What happens when a client doesn’t listen?

This is a potential powder keg of a situation actually because it is often the first step in the wrong direction for a successful business partnership.

Now this is not to say that clients should just blindly follow their consulants wishes. That would be disastrous. Most of the time the client knows more than their consultants about their own business. There are exceptions, for instance when a consultant previously worked in the given industry and has more experience and a track record of success.

But most of the time clients know the ins and outs of their business with a depth that an outside consultant, no matter how savvy, cannot match. That client may frequently disagree or flat out overrule a consultants particular strategy. As they should. And if all goes well then there is nothing to worry about. Client is happy and the consultant still has a job. Obviously if this situation repeats enough times said consultant is going to be out of a job.

But what happens when the client is wrong and they still won’t listen. What happens when they can’t or won’t enunciate their goals beforehand and they won’t examine their metrics after the fact. Most importantly, what if they aren’t listening to the consultant on matters which that consultant can speak specifically to?

Consultants are paid to perform specific tasks. But there is also an implication that a consultant will provide objective opinion regarding their clients strategy as well as aligning their clients success with their own.

I do well. Client does well. We all prosper and maintain a long healthy relationship.

Perfect!

Except we don’t live in that perfect world and a client unwilling to listen to their consultants advice often asks that consultant to blindly follow them. I wonder if it is an ownership issue? “Even though you’ve disagreed with us on this, this is the decision we’ve decided upon and we want you to support it.”

But here is the question: What is the right play for the consultant? Do they, in an about face, blindly support their client’s wishes. Or do they disengage? Is that even possible?

What do you do when clients won’t listen and then expect you to go along? 20th century thinking says, fall in line, support the team, do what’s right. But is that really what we want people doing? Subsuming their own values to myopia?