It would be a great job except for the clients!

That’s one of the old saws among lawyers; I’m sure it’s common to many professions and trades.

And it’s one that used to drive me nuts.

Sure I get it, there are times when a particularly demanding or unreasonable client drives you nuts; and who doesn’t love, or indeed deserve, a good moan from time-to-time.

But if your business is such that you generally hate/dislike/resent (insert your personal grudge here) the people you’re working for or with; then that’s on you, not on them.

When I used to work with lawyers trying to do something about that, to change the way in which they marketed their practices to end up working with clients they loved, who appreciated what they did for them and at the end of the day saw tremendous value in what was done for them, this mentality was the biggest obstacle we faced, and the first thing we had to change.

Because of course there is no job without the clients; and unless you want to spend your working life doing something that you don’t enjoy and don’t find fulfilling, then you’ve got to ensure that you’re working with the right clients for you; clients who matter to you, who you care about and who you love to serve.

The flip side of this problem from a marketing perspective tends to be regulation; i.e marketing would be great if we didn’t have to comply with the GDPR!

I’ve been there too and bought that particular t-shirt. Compliance can be a momumental pain in the neck and an obstacle to getting what you want, or need, to do done.

But then again these really are just different sides of the same coin, compliance with your data protection obligations under the GDPR is essentially just showing respect for the fundamental rights of your prospects, customers and clients.

Who do you think they would rather deal with?

Someone who actually cares about that and puts it at the heart of what they do, or whose strategy in business is based around how they can get around it?

At the end of the day, we have the clients and customers that we deserve, because they are the people that we invite into our businesses; and of course, they are the lifeblood that we depend on for the survival of that business.

Just because it is a truism to say that people do business with those they know, like, and trust doesn’t make it any less true; trust starts with respect and people who are shown respect tend to reciprocate.

And they are the clients and customers you are going to enjoy doing business with.