By Natalie J. Armstrong,
www.MarketingMediation.com

Serve Before You Sell
If you’ve read my book then you know this is a major point I make. It’s such an important point, that it bears repeating.

We are a service industry. We are not the default (the courts). Conflict resolution professionals cannot afford to treat people as though they were still in the court system. People choose our processes and they choose us. We’re in a people industry. We’re in a service industry.

The people who hire us or for whom we volunteer expect from us not just service, but good service. That kind of service starts long before you’re hired for a hearing. Your view of people who hire you may have a powerful effect on the way you treat them and consequently whether or not you get the job.

Consider the definitions of these two words.

Customer: A person who purchases a commodity or service.
Client: A person who is under the protection of another.

Next time you’re at a networking event approach everyone you meet as though they are a client. Provide them the referrals they need, the research avenues you have at your disposal, or industry news that will benefit them. Likewise, the next time your phone rings remind yourself that the person on the other end is a client, not just a customer, and you’ll convene many more cases than ever before.

Serve before you sell. It should be the mantra of every businessperson.

Natalie J. Armstrong is the Founder and Managing Director of Golden Media, a marketing and consulting firm dedicated to promoting the resolution industry. She is the author of The Essential Guide to Marketing Your ADR Practice and speaks internationally on business development and the successful marketing strategies of the conflict resolution industry. More ADR Practice Development articles and information about Ms. Armstrong and Golden Media can be found at www.MarketingMediation.com.