Clients Value Initiative

We have always been taught that good consultants diagnose before they prescribe. But does this ring true with what you hear from your clients?

When I meet with prospects, I rarely hear them say, “Help us diagnose our problems.” What they usually say is, “Look, we don’t know what we don’t know. You're in the market working with others like us, you see what they're doing. What should we do next?”

My clients want me to provide them with stories and new ideas. When I do, this is what happens:

• Clients and prospects get a lot of value for their time and are more willing to commit to a following conversation;
• I establish myself as a trusted and credible source, and make most of my competition irrelevant;
• It's more likely a new prospect will agree on having you perform a diagnostic: "If these are the insights we're getting upfront, imagine the ones we would have after engaging!"

That's the importance of initiative. Initiative opens sales opportunities with new prospects, and helps you retain your existing clients. It's a high-impact tool you can implement at any time.

When you're a consultant dealing with a new prospect, initiative is your shortcut to build trust and credibility. You must know how to diagnose and propose solutions - but these skills are only needed after an initial exchange, where you can offer concrete insights before exploring the clients' situation.

When you're talking to your existing clients, initiative shows you are not complacent. It's a sign that you care about them, their challenges, and their business. It should be continuous - when you finish implementing an idea, immediately present and make the case for the next one.

Here are some ideas on how to take initiative:

• Build on your experience: Discuss the main challenges your clients face and share solutions that have produced the best results. Then go further and brainstorm specific ideas that, if implemented, could create even more value for them.
• Be a contrarian: Think about the things in your industry that people always respond to with a “Nobody does that.” Now ask yourself, “What if we did that?” or “How could we do that?”
• Look for recurring challenges and opportunities: Your audience faces the same challenges regularly. One way you can help is by providing them with a guide or video that explains how to handle these problems.