How to Make Friends With and Influence the “Lala”

In the first part of this article - 6 Ways to Tell if You Work For a “Lala Company"- we had seen typical characteristics of a Lala company.  In this post, I will attempt to lay down key guiding principles / best practices to utilize if you find yourself facing the wonderful challenge of partnering with or providing services to a Lala company. In general though, these could apply to dealing with any demanding customer !

 Work your way through the key stakeholders. Get to the promoters if you can.

It is a rare buyer who has the innate need to innovate or enhance the state of affairs in her organization. More often than not, change is brought about by either a mandate from someone at the top or because the organization is in crisis. Expanding your web of influence in the customer hierarchy is not a nice to have, it is a must! Sometimes one word against you is all that it takes to put to rest your opportunities. In a scenario where you may screw up occasionally or hit a roadblock, it helps to have a rational and senior voice on your side in the customer organization.

Educate – because half knowledge is dangerous!

Even the Lala wants to grow up! The blocker you are dealing with is probably just as ambitious as you are; he just doesn't know how to navigate the world or is stuck there due to reasons beyond his control. Bring him up the learning curve so that he can tell the difference between a transactional exchange and a strategic discussion. Send him articles off the internet, thought leadership from time to time, or invite him to conferences. Work towards transforming the relationship from that of a master-slave to one of partnership and collaboration.

Get specific.  

If you are faced with a situation where the customer starts to sling generalized statements like “you never deliver” or “this is isn’t what we agreed” or “you don't understand our requirements”, ask them to be specific and state examples. Measure deliverables on both sides very carefully, agree and document what is within and beyond scope, and set regular checkpoints. Check and recheck your contracts and SLAs before agreeing to them – there is no such thing as the spirit of the handshake when it comes to certain customer relationships.

In a situation where there is a deluge of negative feedback, negotiate a process for them to channelize this feedback in manageable chunks. Demonstrate your openness to hear all feedback, whether rational or irrational, document it and show progress. Be the bigger person and don't lose your composure even in the worst situation.

Demonstrate integrity and stand firm.

It is not uncommon to be in a situation where you might be asked to meet an unreasonable demand or do something illegal. In fact, a common trait for these types of customers is to bring up fresh requirements pretending that previous discussions on that topic never happened or reached agreement. They also try to take advantage of organizational changes in both parties to push for the addition of services / old promises that were allegedly not delivered without necessarily making adequate changes to the commercials.  

Don't be afraid to say no. Stand firm on your position, but put it across in a logical and polite manner – even if the other party has no such courtesies. Remind them why they may have hired your organization in the first place: for your credibility, ethics and brand promise. Be prepared and state your willingness to reopen a dialogue if required on old topics, but outline your position on modifications that would need to happen at both ends right at the outset.  

Make copious notes and communicate to the customer soon after meetings seeking acknowledgement each time. If things get dirty, these records can come handy. Nothing beats down an ignorant or irrational ask like the documented proof of previous agreement – of course you need to use this judiciously because egos are rather fragile. 

Relationship / trust based model

Figure out what motivates them beyond money or gifts. If your customer counterpart is a frustrated Joe working for a small salary or little recognition and hates the work environment himself, open up connections or doors in other organizations in your network where he might find a better role, recognition or culture. Offer to help with internal reviews or management updates – know and contribute directly to his KPIs. Your biggest hurdle might actually turn into your prized asset. 

Know when to walk away.

If all else fails, and the drain on your resources is not worth the revenue, cut your losses and move on. Sometimes it might actually work out to your benefit if this customer ends up working with your competitor and sucks up their resources. As they say, overall it is better to have few great customers who love you rather than many customers who only tolerate you or worse still hate you.

*Disclaimer: This post reflects my own personal opinion and experiences, and bears no representation with any of my past or present employers.