transition at work

[arbon]

This Tuesday I am legally changing my name and I am trying to figure out the best way to make this transition with clients and vendors I work with. While there are several clients I work with that I know are fully aware of what I am doing and are supportive there are still quite a few who I am really not sure about, especially the ones I don't have much face to face contact with.

I am thinking to send a email out on Thursday to all of my clients and vendors that I work with, then Monday after the long weekend start going by my new name.

I am just trying to figure out what to say in the email and how much should I say?

A letter like that should be kept very brief and to the point I think, but yet a lot of people may not really understand what I am doing and need more explanation.

I am not going to be getting any support from my employer in doing this.

Any advice is appreciated.

[pamela_a]

I just sent you a PM

[AllieSF]

Since your clients help pay for your salary and make your company a profit, I would recommend calling each one first and then sending out the general email. Voice to voice, or even better face to face, is what a good client deserves. You may lose some and make others better customers. Well worth the effort to me. As for a sample text, several ladies have transitioned on the job here and you may want to contact then to see if you can plagiarize one of their communications to fellow employees and clients. Good luck and I can't wait to here how it all works out.

[SandraAbsent]

Yay! Finally something I have actual experience in, and can offer some insight. I just went through this in December, so it is very fresh for me. Coming out in my work place was probably the easiest part in the entire process. Our company is small with a pretty young and hip staff, so inside the four walls of my company was no problem. With a few hiccups here and there, its all gone smoothly as time has progressed.

The biggest challenge was that I am an advertisement account executive. My income ,although dispersed to me through my employer, is 100% commission and 100% based on the relationships I keep with my clients. I also knew that the reason they were my clients to begin with is because spent the time with them to learn about their needs as business owners. Rule number one of sales is "You have two ears and one mouth, keep that ratio in mind." In coming out to my clients, this meant don't make it about you. We have a tendency to want to do that when we come out to people, we feel that if they understand our pain and suffering, they will be more accepting of us. When I came out to my clients, I made it simple. Here is what is changing, and here is how it will better our business to business relationship. So in other words, I made it about them. The response was overwhelming, and I don't think I've lost a client yet.

I also made it a point to meet with almost every client in person. I really did not feel this was a conversation suited for phone or email, unless there was absolutely no other way. Again I fell back on the relationship developed with the clients, and felt that the best way was to keep things at the highest of professional level. In-person meetings are always the most professional way to handle discussing sensitive subjects. To much can be left unanswered via phone or email. So this is what I did, I met with about 40 different clients. One at a time, and on my own time. Why on my own time? Because even going through this, I was still expected to perform and meet quotas, and transitioning was my issue, not my employers. They helped by allowing me to transition, it was my job to manage it. The remaining clients were contacted by phone, never by email, and the conversations remained the same. I always kept it about the client.

The outcome has been very rewarding. I know now that the clients I have are professionals, that will not allow any indifference to get in the way of a good business to business relationship. They will probably be longer term clients now due to the increased level of understanding we have for each other. Year to date, I am the top account executive in the company, and could very well double my income from last year which was ridden with depression and negativity.

Good Luck to You,
Love You Gutz!

[Julia_in_Pa]

Hi!

IMO you are doing the only thing you can do.
Just keep your e-mails short and to the point and let the fallout if any occur if and when it does and handle it then.
It appears it's going to be a showdown at the OK Corral concerning your boss and I wish there was something I could do or say to make this go smoothly for you.
Just know I'm around for you sis.


Julia

[Badtranny]

I believe SandraAbsent pretty much said it all.