“Getting Naked” at Element Three

I know I am not alone on this one. We all have a stack of business books that we keep on the office shelf to reinforce our personal dedication to achieving professional nirvana. Some books were purchased as part of our development plans, some were given as gifts, and others we were inspired to buy at a business conference or presentation.

Every once in a while, we peruse our bookshelf, seeking inspiration. This is exactly what I found myself doing recently when I stumbled upon one of my favorites by Patrick Lencioni, Getting Naked.

This is a winner in my mind for so many reasons:

• I read the physical book, not an electronic version or audiobook. I purposefully read it in public where people can see the title but have no idea it is a business book. The reactions alone make carrying the book around worthwhile.
• It is a quick read – cover to cover in two (2) hours.
• It is full of the little lessons about customer relationships that we all claim to know but few of us consistently practice.
• There is nothing better than writing a legitimate business blog post with frequent references to “getting naked.”

Getting Naked is applicable to any industry, but I find it really resonates closely with marketing. This book features a consulting company, which is exactly what we do at Element Three. It focuses on many of the very same customer interactions that we have on a regular basis and the protagonist, Jack Bauer, has conversations that could easily be overheard in our own conference room. We work with clients who are seeking to define themselves and effectively “show their stuff” to the marketplace and it is our job to identify the good, bad, and ugly about how to best do that.

While this book focuses on how to be vulnerable or “naked” with your customers, I find myself drawn more to the leadership side of the story. Working for a leader who gives you permission to be naked is rare. While you can hire folks all day long who love being “naked,” if employees are not encouraged to “be naked” from the top down, it doesn’t work. No one wants to “get naked” all alone.

Patrick Lencioni’s book focuses on three fears that prevent us from building trust and loyalty with our clients (which just so happen to be three fears most people have about actually being naked, as in having no clothes on):

1. Fear of losing the business
2. Fear of being embarrassed
3. Fear of feeling inferior

He goes on to provide solid advice around how to face these fears head on by shedding your inhibitions and going with what comes naturally. For example, “Always consult instead of sell.” Consulting comes much more naturally for most people than selling does. I also like “tell the kind truth,” which is relevant because the act of selling and the fear of losing the business too often guides us in the opposite direction of telling the truth. When we do tell the truth it is out of frustration, anger, or spite, and is not typically “kind.”

Whether you’re searching for job candidates, vetting technology vendors, or looking for a marketing agency, make sure the person or people on the other side of the relationship are okay with “getting naked” before you partner with them. I know that anyone who reads this book has a secret wish that everyone would operate this way, but “getting naked” takes work because when you are standing there fully exposed, you have to have the confidence to stand by your naked convictions.