I knew, from the beginning, this is a book about business and I was looking forward to reading it.
Like Lecioni’s other books, this is written as a fable so it is a quick, easy, delightful read. It is a story about a Sales Consultant who is trying to sell his company’s consulting services to potential clients. When his firm (the BIG firm) buys a smaller firm who is much more successful with clients than the BIG firm, he is instructed to go into the small firm and find out what they are doing that gets and keeps clients so loyal to them, even when they charge more for their services than the BIG firm.
Jack, the character, then explains it to the Big firm what the small firm’s strategy is. Getting Naked is about being a vulnerable service provider that always consults, never sells, and gives away the business.
Reading this book answers questions for me about how we, CMI, operate. Bruce follows this model with every client we have. He is always giving away his expertise to all, through added value coaching sessions, being vulnerable with our clients, apologizing for things that didn’t go exactly the way we, and the client, thought they should go and generally doing what’s best for the client. Gloria and I have followed along in this model, without really knowing it. For our Clients, we are now referred to as the CMI Team!
I recommend this book to all who have businesses, who are a part of a business and also for those who want things to work better in their personal lives as well. For me, I see how I can improve our work and work environment by shedding the three fears described in the book. By being vulnerable, asking dumb questions, making dumb suggestions, celebrating my mistakes etc.… I can be more productive and on the same page as Bruce and our clients and we can all be successful! And not only in business but in my family as well, for example. My husband recently experienced a health scare, and before reading this book, I would have kept all information about him to myself and to the few “need to know” people. Through practicing “Getting Naked” I have received so much support, love and connectedness from all areas of people my life, I feel successful and loved.