The Desert of Arizona
Sunny 43 Degrees
When you want to assume the position of ADVISOR in the minds of your prospects and clients, you actually have to act like an advisor. This means you do not blindly accept the premise they bring to you when they are looking to hire you.
Which premise is that?
The premise I’m talking about is the assumption that what they are asking you to do (the specific deliverable or service) will get them to where they want to go.
Now they might be right. They might know what they need. But they are not the expert in this area of things, you are. So that means you owe it to them to help them even figure out the right course of action to pursue.
Most service providers gloss over this. I think it’s because of fear. I know that’s why I did it for so long. When you’re trained in the “system” as well as I was (I had no idea that getting Straight A’s in school was simply proof of my willingness to submit to following orders), even the “confrontation” of asking your prospect why they think their intended course of action is the right one can make you nervous.
I felt that for a long time. It felt like confrontation. It made me nervous. It made me think they might leave. Eventually I realized that was a product of me “trying to get liked.” This is a detrimental quality for an advisor.
The goal is not to get a friend. The goal is to help a client move forward.
So the next time a prospect comes to you and says, “We’d like you to do X, Y and Z… could you let us know how much that will be?” consider NOT answering with a simple Yes or No.
Instead, ask a question:
“What makes you think that’s the right course of action here?”
This approach actually provides a MUCH higher level of service to your prospects and clients. And it keeps you out of the vendor box for good.