As many of us have experienced, making changes to our outward appearance will cause those who know us well to ponder the change, often causing talk, speculation, and the uttering of opinions. When my wife returned from the salon with her new hairdo, I honestly wasn’t sure what to think. I needed time to adjust to it, and even more time before I could decide if I actually liked it. My 8 year old daughter’s reaction however, was much stronger and more immediate; she didn’t like it. Louanna no longer looked like her mother and my daughter was a bit slower to warm up to her “new” mom. Eventually though, her mother’s love and personality won through and things went back to normal.

Visible changes to your image or changes to your processes, especially at the point where they interact with our client’s processes, can stumble client relations. At the best, these kinds of changes can create trepidation, discomfort and unease; at the worst, these changes may produce costs and upgrade pains for our customers. Remaining firm to our core values and products, and offering help with the transition should make it easier for our clients to stay with us and remain our clients.