The Client Letter
December 19, 2012
Sedona, Arizona
Partly Cloudy 37 Degrees
Most service providers totally miss the fact that a huge portion of the value they could provide comes BEFORE they start performing their service.
It comes during the time when you help your client figure out what needs to be done.
This is called the diagnosis. It’s just like the doctors do.
If you don’t do this, you end up just delivering what the client asks for… (It’s a few steps up from “Would you like fries with that?”)
There’s a better way.
For example, a client comes to me and says he wants his website rewritten.
I say, “What makes you think that’s going to help you get where you’re trying to go?”
He says, “I don’t know.”
I say, “Exactly… so let’s talk about what you’re trying to achieve.”
Long story short, small project becomes big project, small fee balloons into some real money.
As a service provider, you provide solutions, not services.
I’m not suggesting you go around saying that. “Solutions” is such a corporate speak buzzword I think you’re better off without it. But you should THINK in those terms, even if you don’t say it.
Your clients have real problems. You can help them solve those problems.
Your services are the tools that help solve the problems.
Focus on the real problems, and the amount of services you provide will tend to rise.
In other words, solving a client’s problems often requires that you bundle more services than originally requested. That way, you can effectively solve the problem.
Bundling is profitable and MUCH more valuable to your client. Because it actually helps solve real problems instead of just patch holes.
If you want to get your game together when it comes to working with clients, then I have a bundle for you that you might be interested in.
Now this won’t be for everyone. But for the right person, it’s going to be a great opportunity.