I’m a ridiculous extrovert, so I want to start by saying I know this won’t work for all people, and I’m not suggesting everyone should try it. I do however want to talk about my own experience and one of the ways I feed my need to be extroverted with my need to work hard, while generating client loyalty at the same time.
I’ll start by saying that I love The Alderman Group office. All of my favorite people are there. But they are also all introverted.I want to blare music and talk and walk around, and they want to sit quietly with their headphones on and work.
So one of the things I do to feed the extrovert is that I work from our client’s offices.
That may seem strange at first, but I assure you that when you do it right, you will be productive and your clients will be delighted.
This is how it works for me:
Most of our clients have spare business space, desks, or offices. Most of our clients have wireless Internet. So, after we have their trust, and they are used to me and being around me, I simply ask, “Hey, would it be ok if I worked here for a while?” Every client I have ever asked has responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!” or “Absolutely!”
They show me where I can sit and work for a while, and as I do, they come by every so often with their needs. It may be something they forgot to say in a meeting. Often times, it is new work, and they have just thought about it because I’m sitting there.
The cool thing is that now, I’m getting to talk with people, be creative and helpful, and think up new things, while typing away on all of my other work for other clients. In addition to this, I feel more focused on this particular clients in some ways, and I can bang through their projects with relative ease.
My work gets done. Their work gets done. I get some extrovert time. They feel special because I’m right there, working for them on their turf.
Will this work for you? I don’t know. But it really works for me, and our clients and our business reap the benefits.
