FDLIC Corporate Officers blog about current issues in the preneed industry and in funeral service, providing insight, commentary, and news updates.
"Getting Naked"
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
When I was recently handed the book, "Getting Naked," by Pat Lencioni, to read for a management book review, I knew it HAD to be a book on vulnerability, yet I continued to carry it with the title towards my body so no one could see it. The last thing I wanted was for someone to get the wrong idea about what I was reading. The funny thing is, the more of the book I read, the more I let that go. I even found myself purposefully leaving the book on my desk, or the coffee table at the airport, with the title clearly visible and even facing in the right direction. Needless to say, the book title sparked several impromptu discussions.
As interesting as the title is, it did in fact have to do with being vulnerable when dealing with clients. Lencioni says, "At its core, naked service boils down to the ability of a service provider to be vulnerable--to embrace uncommon levels of humility, selflessness, and transparency for the good of a client." I had to ask myself if vulnerable is really how we wanted to be in front of our clients. Vulnerable means weak, right? How can we run our business if our clients think we are weak?
Lencioni tells a story in his book about two consulting firms that are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to vulnerability, yet they are being forced to merge their businesses and clients. For me, the turning point in the book was when a new client of Lighthouse, the firm practicing naked principles, was asked why they chose to give their business to Lighthouse instead of to the other firm. They said, "Lighthouse didn't come with any answers. But they asked questions. And they had suggestions, but they admitted that some or all of those suggestions might not be right. And some of them weren't, but some were, and more than anything, it felt like they were more interested in helping us figure out our problems than they were in closing the deal."
Immediately I started thinking about how I want to be treated as a client. The airport facilities that I choose to fly into are the ones that practice naked principles. They go out of their way to serve me and take care of my passengers regardless of whether I purchase fuel from them or not. They simply go to work for me and allow the rest to just fall into place. They are vulnerable because there is a chance they will provide the service and not be paid for it. They are willing to take that risk and just want to show their customers that they are more interested in caring for their needs than making the sale.
There are actually facilities out there that will make it clear up front that if I do not buy a certain amount of fuel from them, they will charge an outrageous fee for their services anyway. They make it clear that they will not serve me without me first spending some money. Needless to say, I avoid those facilities whenever possible.
So it dawned on me that being vulnerable is not a weakness at all, but rather a strength. It establishes a long-term relationship with the client that is based on trust instead of one centered on just selling a service. Just as I want to do business with more vulnerable service providers, I in turn will try to serve others with that same level of vulnerability. "Getting Naked," while it sounds a little out there, turns out to be the perfect way to treat others as I would like to be treated...with sincerity and a genuine and authentic attitude toward service.