In his latest column for The Business Exchange, John Davies, Partner in our Corporate team, reflects on a quarter century in the legal world and what he believes makes professional relationships ‘stick’.
What is it that makes a business relationship ‘sticky’ – but in a good way?
It’s a puzzling question when you think about it, and it cuts a number of ways. I’ve been thinking a lot about this question recently because in the last year I helped sell three companies that I’ve worked alongside for over 25 years.
A quarter century is a long time in business! Something must have made those relationships sticky because there is plenty of choice out there.
As someone who essentially sells a service rather than a product, it’s always a great feeling when a client instructs you. Imagine then the feeling when someone continues to instruct you for twelve months, five years, ten years and more. It’s pretty humbling and its never taken for granted. Clients become far more than clients.
And then of course there is the other side of things. The ‘stickiness’ of the business itself.
I’ve worked at Thrings for almost 30 years and like to think of myself as the legal version of Martin Johnson, Paul O’Connell, and Alun Wyn Jones – all one club players, (you can add the ‘legend’ moniker if you see fit – I’m far too humble!).
It’s not just me though - I work alongside many colleagues that I’ve been working with for over 20 years. That’s longer than most marriages these days!
And I’m not just talking lawyers - only last month we celebrated the 25-year anniversary of our IT manager. He saw me get married and have children – he even saw me with a full head of hair. It means something.
As is the way these days, I have a daily scroll through LinkedIn and there are so many people hopping around, I’m sure with good reason, and lots of business relationships moving around and changing. Business and choice today are more varied and more fluid than ever.
So, what is it that makes a business ‘sticky’?
At the heart of everything are people and despite the digital world we now live in I don’t think that will ever change. I attended an excellent lunch the other day, a room full of professionals and business leaders, where the talk inevitably got on to AI and change - Good points and bad points alike.
There is no doubt that technology will continue to change how we work and that change will be faster than it ever has been in human history, but I did ponder the ‘stickiness’ of it all. Will the digital world, the algorithmic consciousness, ever be able to garner the kind of stickiness that I’m talking about? Stickiness created by care, heart, compassion, emotion, trust. Would I happily drive to work every day looking forward to chatting with a bot, in the same way that I drive in looking forward to spending time with my colleagues. Would I even bother going ‘in’ to work?
Will AI really care about my thoughts on the political turmoil of the day? Will it really understand the thrill of winning with a client? Will it know to be gentle with me on a Monday morning following the Six Nations? Will it really understand the utter ridiculousness of Crocs? I think not.
So, there it is. Stickiness, for me at least, is about connection, real connection.
Finally, if any of you reading this are also long-timers in your organisations I’d love to hear about it. Perhaps we should print our very own loyalty cards.