Book Report: Getting Naked - A Business Fable About Shredding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty

by Erin Cheever, Project Manager, Boomer Consulting, Inc.

Book: Getting Naked - A Business Fable About Shredding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty
Author: Patrick Lencioni

Overview

In the book Getting Naked, Patrick Lencioni, through the eyes of consultant Jack Bauer tells the story of how two firms try to merge together with completely different styles of client service. The story explores Bauer’s introduction and first-hand account of naked service that leads to his ultimate understanding and adoption of the successful model. As explained by Lencioni naked service outlines the approach and principles of achieving total client loyalty and trust. His overarching model shows how to become a naked service provider. Simply put, to provide naked service, one must become transparent and vulnerable and display levels of selflessness and humility for the common good of the client. He outlines the three fears companies might face as they evolve into naked consultants and how a company might overcome those fears. By following the mere principles and approaches of the naked service model, Lencioni and his firm The Table Group have achieved un-paralleled client loyalty.

Top Points

1. Fear of Losing the Business – Sometimes going out of your way to avoid your short comings or the truth in order to save face and not lose potential business or clients.
• Principles
• Always consult instead of sell – Demonstrate value; Start treating them like they are a client before they have even signed a contract.
• Give away the business - Work with the client on the cost; be more interested in helping them vs. being concerned about the cost.
• Tell the kind truth - Telling the client the truth even when they might not want to hear it.
• Enter the danger - Don't be afraid to be involved in uncomfortable situations with the client; show them you are OK with dealing with an issue everyone is afraid to deal with.
2. Fear of Being Embarrassed - Never wanting to ask the wrong question or get the wrong answer. Not wanting to be made a fool of. Not wanting to be humiliated in front of a client.
• Principles
• Ask dumb questions – Don’t be afraid to ask questions you don’t know the answers to – the questions others in the room are afraid to ask.
• Make dumb suggestions – Make suggestions that might seem silly or out of left field – sometimes they end up being a great idea and something someone else wanted to present but never did.
• Celebrate your mistakes – Recognize your mistakes and apologize if you are wrong – don’t try to hide this
3. Fear of Feeling Inferior – Feeling less important or less superior in the eyes of the client. Always wanting to reflect a certain level of standing in front of the client.
• Principles
• Take a bullet for the client – To some extent except responsibilities even when it might not be you fault 
• Make everything about the client – Be all about the client; Give them your full attention; Honor them; Understand them;  Let them see how valuable you are on their own
• Honor the client’s work – Take an active interest in your client’s work; Appreciate it – If it is something that you don’t believe in then maybe they aren’t the client for you
• Do the dirty work – Do all the things they need and want to get done – even it is “beneath you”

Admit Your Weaknesses and Limitations (general) – Don’t pretend that you understand and know how to do everything. You often will spend more time figuring out how to do this one thing that you clearly don’t know how to do then focus on your strengths and skills, which in the end will probably hurt your client.

How is this book applicable to our industry?

In a way I feel as those we follow similar parts of the naked service model at Boomer Consulting. We are vulnerable. We are transparent when it comes to who we are and what we offer. Everything we do is always in the best interest of our clients. Never do we go out of our way to tell our clients what they want to hear, but we tell them what they need to hear, even if it isn’t pretty. We bend over backwards to make them happy. We are engaged with clients and with the work (we are always there). We ask questions when we don’t know the answer. We get to know them, we talk to them and we listen to their pains. We follow the principles that lead to great naked service.