OF CATS AND CLIENTS: PART THREE

In 2017 and 2018, parts one and two of Nan’s cat saga appeared in the Hannah Sheridan & Cochran blog world as Nan fumbled her way through becoming a new cat parent and found analogies between that burgeoning relationship and her business relationships. In 2019, Nan turned her and Sasha’s world on its head by adding a brown tabby named “Carter” to the family. Sasha questions that decision every day. And so, the analogies continue ….

In the legal/business world, relationships are rarely stagnant. New employees come and old employees depart. Products and technology evolve. The whole world can be turned on its ear – See COVID and natural disasters. How your business navigates those changes makes a world of difference in the ultimate success of your endeavor.

In the case of Sasha and Carter, they continue to work on developing and building trust in one another. Carter is considerably larger and much more extroverted. Sasha is a more petite cat, and very much an introvert. Add to that the fact Carter clearly spent some time on the streets, while Sasha was raised in a hoarding situation where she was obviously picked on by other cats, and you have a situation requiring patience and constant effort to help these two individuals become family.

How does that work in your business? A big part of building and supporting a customer base comes from getting to know your customers well enough to build a relationship that can withstand rough patches.

Providing some value-adds in the form of education on topics that should enhance your customers’ business practices can only serve to tie the customers to your business. Finding ways to understand the individuals with whom you deal stands to improve the overall relationship. “Playing” together in terms of customer-centered events, supporting their causes, and joining forces in a disaster relief effort, are ways you can build a lasting relationship and a work “family” with your customers, and with your employees as well.