Dropping a layer of perfection

In business there's a temptation to appear the epitome of perfection & professionalism, one imagines this is exactly, precisely what potential clients or customers would like to see. Smooth and sleek and always professional - never a hair out of place, never a child interrupting, nothing out of place at all.

And then you stop and think, is this real? Can we do this? Do you expect this? Would you find something special in this automaton that makes them memorable and someone you'd want to continue the conversation with?

It hit me, my clients are real people.

I think - they should never hear my kids in the background, but they often have their kids their too - and it's almost a relief for them that I understand the background noise.

I think - school pickups and juggling kids should never be a factor, but my clients are mums - they're juggling kids and they appreciate me scheduling around dinner time and bed times - I get it.

I think - clients want perfect coiffure and perfect advice, they're in their casuals and they're looking for real help that works in the real world, I live that!

And then I'm having a conversation with a colleague and I drop the veneer a little and tell her I'm not likely to look at that proposal till the kids go back to school - she gets it too because she's doing the same. She's working nights in the holidays to look after the offspring during the day. She gets it too.

And another conversation about how real life is, how raw. This amazing beautiful colleague admits parenting isn't exactly what she thought it would be, it's tougher! That there are days she doesn't necessarily want to get up, don't we all have these! That she wants to eat cake and miss the gym and take the easy route at times. She gets out there everyday and sees clients who are dealing with their own personal demons, and she does it well because she gets it. She's real.

Real with a real personality and real life and guess what, that means she's even better at her job. And so am I. So to all of us, drop a layer of the "veneer of professionalism", get real and get busy. You and your clients are both going to benefit.