Thank You, Client

For saying nice things about me to the Big Guy yesterday! It makes me feel guilty because I put your work aside for a couple of days to work on other matters for a while. I'll get it done soon, though, well in time for your deadline. Hopefully even today. In any case, the complimentary words were a pleasant surprise.

Which reminds me, thank you to a different Client for saying, after we completed a messy deal and I said I'd buy you a drink to celebrate when we close the damn thing, that you'd enjoy that and you'd like me to meet your wife, because she's heard so much about me over the course of this long process. You've been unfailingly professional and courteous (even when things got ugly and silly and unnecessarily complicated) and I feel like this small gesture was a high compliment -- a rare lowering of the barrier between personal and professional that I feel like I earned. I'm just sorry you've had to go through all this headachey, stuff -- if the world were sensible and fair, you wouldn't have needed me to be so involved. Hopefully we've got things pretty well sorted out, and we won't talk again for a few years once we've finished up with what we're doing now.

I have some really nice clients. I'm thinking of all the others ones I could thank for little ways you've made me feel good about my work for you. To some of the Big Guy's clients, thank you for being difficult businesspeople, because it makes for some really interesting and unpredictable research and negotiation situations. Mostly I want you guys to work things out with minimal help from us, but when you don't I enjoy the opportunity to help the Big Guy get creative. And almost all of you, even if exasperating to your employees or your creditors, are funny and interesting human beings. It's fascinating to be able to watch the way you make decisions (even if I think some of the decisions you make aren't so wise). I enjoy being invited into your lives, for the little part I get to play in helping you sort out the messier problems.

Thanks, guys.

Comments

The clients are the best and the worst part of it. It is good to help them and get to know them, it is bad to not help them and get cross with them (over fees or outcomes or whatever).