You’re there to add value for your clients. To help them grow, reach their goals and basically make everything better. The focus is on them. That’s why investing in paid time with a professional is often better than chatting with a mate. It’s all about the client.

That’s theory anyway. For me, there’s a flipside. There’s the value my clients bring to me and what I learn from our work together. When you spend time with other people, you can’t help but learn from them.

Sometimes I’ve learnt more about a particular industry or sector. You learn some of the technical skills involved. Getting under the skin is really, really interesting. Uncover bits of jargon.

Then there’s what you learn when you spend time with a client. I was sat in a restaurant with a restaurant and hospitality client recently. I could see how they were taking in all the little details. Watching the manager and how the service operates. Turning the crockery over to see where it was from. Understanding how the location worked to create a certain atmosphere.

It’s the kind of thing that is really useful from a coaching point of view. It means I better understand the client’s passions. It means I get what gives them a buzz, what their standards are and know the hill they will die on.

Similar things come through in Zoom conversations and even voice calls. Creating that understanding of what in the work brings joy and where the sticky patches are. Hearing the attention to detail and how that dovetails with creative thinking.

And there’s always a little bit of me after I spend time with clients; I always think, okay, what can I bring into my work? What was there in the conversation that challenges my approach? Anything that can make me more creative? Maybe there’s an operating practice that sounds interesting to explore. 

Whoever you are working with, look at what other people are doing well. See how you can learn from their ideas and thinking. That doesn’t mean that you copy them. Looking at their approach may help you confirm that your approach is the right one for you. The trick is taking the opportunity for inspiration. Then you see how your own work could benefit. It’s easy to think that our way is the right way (and the only one worth pursuing). Or to try to be like people you’ve seen on LinkedIn. When you explore a variety of viewpoints and approaches, you avoid that shallowness. You’re digging deeper and experimenting all the time. It prevents boredom and stops your business from getting stuck in a rut. 

When you combine that with learning more about your customers, it creates a whole new perspective. You understand how you can work better with them too. I actually sent a survey out to my clients, past and present, earlier this year. I asked about their experience of working with me, why they chose to do so and what they got from it. Their answers told me more about my business and also about how I work with others. None of us is doing this alone (even if it feels like it at times).

This kind of learning and understanding is great for improving how you explain your business. What you think people get from your service or product might not be why customers choose you. The revelation of knowing what you do badly or well can feel like a challenge.  Taking it on board shows that you’re listening. That learning is something you’re willing to do. 

You don’t have to wait to put a survey together. You can start now. The next interaction you have with a client whether it’s a phone call, email or in person is an opportunity. It’s a chance for you to learn about them and about yourself.

If you liked this post, I could be the right person to help you. Book a £25 discovery call with me and you’ll go away with loads of useful ideas (even if we don’t take it any further).