A client is a person or organization seeking to use the services of a professional or company. The saying “the customer is king” must have crossed anyone at one time or the other during their lifetime. It is a corporate cliché which means that customers determine the direction of a business. Professionals are obliged to cater to their client’s needs according to how they want, as long as it is within their professional capabilities and ethical code of conduct. Customers are mostly willing to pay when their needs have been fulfilled; which is why businesses make decisions according to customer preferences and change with them. According to a 2000 census in the US, it was proved that the United States is a diverse and multicultural society. Unlike the misplaced belief that cultural diversity is only specific to ethnicity and race, research has clarified that cultural diversity includes many groups of clients and factors that influence the way they are treated such as; gender, age, spiritual beliefs, sexual preferences, mental and physical capacities, and their social-economic status.
Defining and Creating opportunities for customers with diverse needs
In today’s shrinking world, professionals need to grow beyond the ‘one size fits all’ mentality to succeed. They have to learn to understand and be sensitive to the needs of customers from different ethnicities, social backgrounds, and economic backgrounds (Hewlett, Marshall & Sherbin, 2013). Professionals need to serve diverse clients with an approach that makes them feel accommodated. Human Service Professionals step in when businesses of companies want to incorporate policies that help in embracing and serving customers with diverse needs appropriately among many other issues that increase business performance to the optimum. They help in setting from direct service to planning and implementing of public policy or in a clinical setting. There are various stated ways in which human resource professionals can help in achieving this goal; first, identifying the current state of client diversity. This step helps them be braced and stay ahead with trends regarding the client’s needs. Then, incorporating diversity-friendly climates in institutions to encourage different groups of clients to seek services from the institution; because they feel accommodated and accepted. Professionals could be trained on diversity and inclusion, to enhance their understanding of their various groups of clients and be attuned to serve them to the best of their abilities concerning their different orientations.
Identifying common grounds with clients
Clients want to connect with people who are interested in them and their business. As much as efficiency and professionalism are important, it is also equally helpful to take time and talk to the client about other things other than business and finding something that you have in common. This will likely create a bond with the client and win the professional a repeat customer. Listening to and observing the client is a great way to get to know them. Picking hints about their families, interests, and priorities can establish commonalities between oneself and their client, grow the conversation, and establishing a relationship with them. The conversation should be two-way, so ensuring that you tell the client things about yourself maintaining professionalism goes a long way. Then, the professional should be honest with the client; but not too honest. One should not agree with everything the client says or suggests because they will feel that they are being taken for a ride. As much as you want to get to know them, you want them to know the real you. Being honest is a great way to establish an integral bond and it is okay when the opinions of a professional and those of the client do not align. All human beings share some common ground at one time or the other.
Client Strengths
All professionals should learn how to respect the diversity of their clientele because it helps dispel personal biases among different groups. (Elliott, Bohart, Watson & Murphy, 2018) suggest that it helps them recognize ways of being that are not necessarily their own and create bridges to trust, respect, and understanding among different groups. Respecting different clients can be through listening and being present, being thoughtful f their feelings, acknowledging what they say, respecting their boundaries, addressing their mistakes with kindness, and living and let others live. They could also advocate for social justice, honoring clients’ cultural practices, being objective, considering standards with ethical decision making, and respecting the dignity of all people.
Clients and clinicians alike should be aware of the client’s sources of strength, coping abilities, and resilience. According to (Scheel, Davis, & Henderson, 2013) clients’ strengths are drawn from their immediate social environment, the larger societal matrix, ae their characteristics. To identify clients’ strengths and weaknesses, one can issue questionaries to them or ask one on one questions to know their abilities, barriers they have successfully overcome, what the client is good at, and how they define good times. Human Resource Professionals can aid in the growth of patients using allocated resources for client acquisition by holding seminars that teach how to deal with different clients and re-innovating institutions to be diverse accessible and friendly.
Conclusion
Clients are the main reasons why businesses grow because they purchase and use the services and goods of corporations and professionals in exchange for money. There are many different types of clients, each with their unique characteristics, orientations, and beliefs. The ability to serve all clients and fulfill their desires dictates the success of the service or good provider.
