Customer or client?
We had an interesting discussion recently at one of our workshops about whether accountants have clients or customers; whether there’s a difference; whether it matters.
When I got back, I opened my laptop to see what the rest of the world had to say on the matter. The internet is full of articles highlighting the ‘differences’ and trying to ignore the common ground.
- Customers ‘purchase’ goods and services, clients ‘seek’ professional services.
- Customers ‘engage’ in a transaction, clients ‘seek’ a relationship.
- With customers, the focus is on ‘selling’, with clients it’s on ‘serving’.
- With customers, the relationship is short term, with clients it’s long term.
I don’t buy it, especially in the world today. The two are almost interchangeable. Where there is a difference then it lies in the mind of the seller.
We are businesses and, like any other, if people don’t buy our ‘stuff’ then we fail. I understand that the nature of our sales, wrapping them up in advice and benefits, is the right way to ‘sell’ to our type of ‘customer’ but we are not here primarily to ‘serve’.
A shopkeeper serves but it is not their reason for being. A shop is successful because it sells what its customers want or need for a price that works for both. They serve, but only as a marketing strategy.
And so it must be for accountants. We must serve our clients, but in a balanced relationship that works for both client and us, providing goods and services that they want or need for a price that works for both.
Shopkeepers give away very little for free and yet keep their customers happy and returning for more. We must learn from that.
