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Within the early days of constructing my firm, earlier than workforce retreats, firm values or something resembling construction — I landed a consumer I believed would change all the things. A family identify. A beneficiant price range. Entry to rooms I might solely dreamed of.
They have been charming, pressing and keen to maneuver quick. “We’ll work out the specifics later,” they mentioned. And I — formidable, energized, hungry — mentioned sure.
That was my first mistake.
By saying sure to being good, I mentioned no to setting boundaries. Scope ballooned. Expectations multiplied. As a substitute of main the connection, I chased it — reactive, overextended and more and more misaligned. When the contract ended, they vanished. No thank-you. No follow-up. No second thought.
The work was positive. The expertise? A pricey lesson.
The issue with “good”
Good is straightforward. Good is well mannered. Good does not rock the boat. However when good replaces readability, it turns into harmful.
Good masks the reality in smooth language. It dulls helpful pressure. It delays discomfort and multiplies harm.
We as soon as labored with a DEI compliance agency that introduced in a star spokesperson and rolled out a whole rebrand, with out looping us in. Once they requested for suggestions, we smiled and nodded. It wasn’t good. However they have been proud, and we did not need to kill the momentum.
Just a few weeks later, they employed a guide who advised them the precise truths we did not. They listened. They acted. They pivoted — with out us. Not as a result of we failed, however as a result of we stayed quiet.
This is the irony: they needed the reality. Most shoppers do.
Associated: Why Empathy Is a Essential Entrepreneurial Ability (and Learn how to Develop Yours)
What silence prices you
In a enterprise panorama the place 89% of customers usually tend to interact with corporations that reply to all evaluations, silence does not learn as professionalism — it reads as disinterest.
In digital advertising, sugarcoating is not kindness — it is negligence. It prevents the trustworthy, typically uncomfortable conversations that really transfer the work ahead.
One other consumer got here to us with a brand-new web site from one other agency. It was clunky, templated, and, frankly, seemed like a rip-off. I might’ve softened the suggestions. As a substitute, I referred to as out the crimson flags, shared competitor benchmarks and outlined the dangers. That second of honesty saved them tens of 1000’s — and earned us their long-term belief.
Reality: a strategic benefit
Honesty is not simply ethical — it is strategic.
We as soon as labored with a board sport firm whose management resisted each suggestion. We accommodated them, afraid to overstep. The consequence? The marketing campaign flopped.
So we reset the connection. “You employed us for our experience,” we advised them. “Allow us to lead — or allow us to go.”
That second modified all the things. Belief changed pressure. Technique began to click on. Outcomes adopted. As a result of that is what fact does: it realigns, refocuses and rebuilds.
Why we keep quiet (and the right way to cease)
Most of us have been raised on: “If you do not have one thing good to say, do not say something in any respect.” However in enterprise? A greater rule is:
“If you do not have one thing productive to say, wait till you do—after which say it clearly.”
Honesty with out empathy is blunt. Empathy with out honesty is manipulation. However collectively, they create affect — the sort that earns belief, drives change, and builds resilient groups.
You do not have to be aggressive to be direct. However you do need to be courageous.
Constructing a tradition the place fact is not taboo
This is not nearly consumer service — it is about inside tradition. At my company, we lead with candor. Not as a result of it is easy, however as a result of it builds stronger groups. Groups that really feel heard, revered, and empowered to talk up.
One time, a consumer gave suggestions that stung. Earlier than the following name, I advised my workforce: “Watch how we handle this — head-on, respectfully, with out compromising our values.” On the decision, I advised the consumer their feedback had landed poorly. To not disgrace. Simply to tell.
“Our workforce loves working with you,” I mentioned. “Let’s make sure that they proceed to really feel revered.” The consequence? An apology, a cookie bouquet, and a consumer who now leads with the identical transparency.
Wish to get higher at telling the reality? Begin right here:
- Bake it in: Construct suggestions loops into your course of. Do not anticipate catastrophe.
- Train it: Direct, constructive communication is a talent. Prepare your workforce prefer it issues — as a result of it does.
- Mannequin it: If management is not trustworthy, nobody else can be.
Ultimate thought
Being good would possibly win a smile. However being trustworthy earns outcomes.
Lead with empathy. Inform the reality. And construct consumer relationships that are not afraid of friction, however constructed to develop via it.
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Within the early days of constructing my firm, earlier than workforce retreats, firm values or something resembling construction — I landed a consumer I believed would change all the things. A family identify. A beneficiant price range. Entry to rooms I might solely dreamed of.
They have been charming, pressing and keen to maneuver quick. “We’ll work out the specifics later,” they mentioned. And I — formidable, energized, hungry — mentioned sure.
That was my first mistake.
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