A customer is someone who buys something from you. The relationship is purely transactional. You owe them nothing other than to sell and deliver to them the product which they purchased. On the other hand, a client is a person who is under the protection of another person.
The word “client” originated in the Middle Ages and it referred to a common person who sought the protection of someone who was more powerful than them. In this sense, if we look at our clients the way we ought to look at them, we’ll start to look at ourselves very differently. That’s because if we have clients, that means that we are in the position of protecting them. That’s our mission and purpose.
Once we understand that, we’ll start to identify the specific villains or obstacles in their story. We’ll see ourselves as someone who tries to protect our clients from the villains who are trying to antagonize them, or as someone whose primary role is to help our clients overcome their obstacles.
So here's my ridiculous question of the day:
What are you going to do right now today to protect your clients and help them overcome their obstacles?
