Tell People You Enjoy Working With Them

I was recently advising a sales rep on one of her major clients when I asked midway through our conversation, “So, Kathy, have you ever told this client that you enjoyed working with her?”

After a pause, Kathy replied, “No, but she knows I enjoy working with her.”

“How?”

“Well, . . .” and Kathy proceeded to tell me all the things she did that helped the client to know that she enjoyed working with her. However, at no point did Kathy say that she ever told her client that she enjoyed working with her.

So, I asked, “Okay Kathy, so what you’re telling me is that if your husband believes you’re beautiful that there is no reason for him to tell you so as long as you know that he believes you are. True?” After this question, Kathy committed to telling her client that she enjoyed working with her.

The point is that we often “beat around the bush” with compliments. I was recently guilty myself when I told an executive recruiter that I enjoyed working with the candidate. She asked me, “Have you ever told him that?” After confessing guilt, I promised her I would, and I did.

We often comment on our dislike for those who “beat around the bush” and don’t get to the point. So, perhaps during this holiday season, while we’re enjoying our friends and families, we could extend the joy to clients, co-workers, employees, colleagues and many others in our careers that contribute to our enjoyment.

We can simply say, “I enjoy working with you.”