Competent Jerks, Saying Thanks, & Making a Better Impression

Over the past few days, I've seen a number of articles that I wanted to mention and point to:

1. In today's Horsesmouth, there is quite an interesting piece entitled, "5 Ways to Make a Better Impression on Business Prospects.' Good stuff. The author has recently surveyed 200 businesses with questions on their impressions regarding the sales process of professional services, e.g. financial advisors, accounting services, legal services, etc. Among their findings was that 85% of business-to-business buyers report that they recently experienced one or more major problems with the sales presentations of professional service providers. Examples include: inattentiveness, cluelessness, unprofessional behavior, etc. All-and-all, not a very positive report.
2. In the June issue of Law Practice Today, is an article entitled, "How to Thank a Client". Although the piece is written with a legal audience in mind, there are a number of observations that apply to the financial advisor community. One of the questions the author touches upon indirectly is, 'When are gifts for prospects/clients appropriate and timely?'  My takeaway was that, if the objective of the gift-giving is to stand out and to be recognized, "cookie-cutter" gifts that mix marketing and gift-giving (e.g. golf balls with logos) are not very effective. One of the more distinctive gift examples that is mentioned is the two-attorney firm that provides hand-baked cookie gift boxes every year.
3. The final article worth mentioning is from the June Harvard Business Review...a piece entitled "Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools, and the Formation of Social Networks". The authors investigate how informal networks take shape inside of companies, and how people choose those that they work with. They arbitrarily categorized employees into four different archetypes: Lovable Stars, Lovable Fools, Competent Jerks, and Incompetent Jerks. One of their more interesting findings is that, when people need help in getting a job done, they will choose a congenial colleague over a more capable one.

Hope one of these pieces strikes a chord with you. Happy Flag Day! Ciao!

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