Do What Is Needed

Over the past few months, my colleague and I worked hard on a deal-to pitch a solution to an existing client. The entire proposal was structured as a win-win, and we were both absolutely convinced that our client would benefit significantly from it. Needless to say, if the client agreed, we would also have seen a good upside.

Unfortunately, the client decided to pass on our proposition and explore an alternative solution-one we believe carries higher risk and may not be in their best interest. As a result, we found ourselves becoming emotionally attached to the solution we had proposed. In our efforts to negotiate and advocate for our point of view, we began to lose sight of the fact that the client might have their own compelling reasons for choosing a different path.

Thankfully, we did not let our eagerness get the better of us. Deep down, our guiding principle has always been to do right by our client. If they were convinced about their choice, it was our responsibility to support them wholeheartedly, even if it didn’t benefit us financially.

In life, you either do what you want, or you do what is needed. What was needed here was for us to stand by our client through thick and thin. And that’s exactly what we did.