​When you’re “all-in” with your work, when you live and breathe what you do every single work day, those activities are top of mind.  They should be.  You’re intensely focused on your work, so it’s easy to assume that your customers are too.

The reality, however, is that customers are only thinking of you in two situations:

1. Something goes wrong and they have a problem with your work, which means you also have a problem.
2. You bring what you do to their attention, in a positive way, when things are going well.

​It’s evident that the first scenario conjures up negative feelings and puts your relationship at risk, whereas the second makes deposits to the “goodwill bank”.  As you think about your own work, which scenario happens more often?  If #1 exceeds #2 over a period of time, your goodwill bank will become overdrawn.  The overdraft charge is canceled work.

Many assume that customers must know what great work you’re doing for them, because they can see it.  They don’t often notice, however, because their focus is usually on other things.  If they do notice, it doesn’t automatically translate into a mental connection to you and your company. Customers are preoccupied with their own priorities in fulfilling their primary mission, whenever they’re not busy solving their own problems.  If you wait until their focus is on you as a result of an occasional problem, you fall into the problem category in their mind, along with other issues of the day.

If you want customers to actually see what great work you’re doing, invite them to look!  Share something wonderful that just happened.   Give them a reason to actually focus on the value you are creating for them.  Another approach is to let them know about a potential problem that you identified and fixed, before it become one.  Turn the fact that you’re so focused on taking care of them, and concentrating so hard on doing great work, that they don’t need to worry about you.  This is not the same thing as saying you don’t want them thinking of you.

When you realize that a big part of your customer’s day is spent dealing with problem after problem, your ability to provide a positive break for them is all the more reason to share something good.  Be that person who makes your customer smile when they’re thinking of you.

Enjoy the Journey and invite your customers along too!