Thursday, October 30, 2014

Three Things Your Clients Will Never Understand

One of the biggest blowouts I’ve ever had with a business associate was over his repeated use of the phrase “the client has to understand.” (As in “The client has to understand how the flux capacitor works” or “The client has to understand all the steps of gizmo design.”)  By definition, the client doesn’t have to understand much about your business. They’re the client. Understanding is your job. And sometimes the less they understand it, the better it is for you (but we’ll get to that in a minute). Based on my experience – on both sides of the desk – there are three things your clients may never understand.
 
What You Really Do
The speed of business now demands a high degree of specialization on your part and a summary approach on the client’s part. Real success in any field requires a massive amount of both topical knowledge and practical expertise. So, while your clients may have a general idea of what you do, they'll rarely recognize the breadth and depth of those services. In fact, no matter how many different things you do (and do well), your clients will likely come to think of you as the master of just one. So, you need to decide what you want "your thing" to be.
 
How You Do It
Good clients want to understand the basic process you follow and the approach you take, but that’s usually where their interest in the mechanics begins and ends. Or at least should. The Death of a Thousand Questions not only inhibits overall progress, but discounts your expertise and diminishes trust. Most clients, however, aren’t all that interested in how you do what you do. They just want to know you can really do it and when it will be done.

Why You Do It
I’m not talking about tactical rationale or specific business strategies. I mean why you’re in the business you’re in at all. Think about it. No matter who you are or what you do, most other people’s work sounds pretty unappealing. And if they list all the reasons they love what they do, it often makes it all sound worse instead of better. Your clients are no different. Most couldn’t imagine doing what you do every day. All things considered, that’s a good thing.

Ironically, I spent the first half of my career looking at the client’s lack of deep understanding as a curse, when it’s clearly a professional blessing.  Not understanding what you really do or how you do it are the pivotal reasons your services are worth paying for. In the end, it doesn't matter if you’re a marketing consultant, systems analyst or something else. The only thing the client really needs to understand are all the benefits they’ll reap from hiring you.

2 comments:

  1. Absolutely correct. The sooner one understands this, the sooner they can focus their energy on what's important to the customer, such as how it's going to change their life or help their business. I think the analogy of a customer at a butcher shop not needing to know how a sausage is made, and simply being able to enjoy eating it fits well.

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