It’s All About Why, not How
When I started my business after having worked in corporate information centers, I was afraid that I would have to replace all the expensive subscription databases I had access to as an employee. I worried that I would not be able to prove my credibility or expertise to my clients without the professional tools I was accustomed to.
Fortunately, it only took a few times of talking with prospective clients, rattling off the resources I had available and watching their eyes glaze over for me to realize that my clients do not care about what tools I use. Just as I evaluate accountants not by the software they use but by referrals from other solopreneurs who tell me how their CPA saved them money, so my clients are looking for someone they know, trust and value. They want to know that my priority is their best outcome and that I am committed to providing them with a high-quality actionable deliverable.
It has been years since a client asked me whether I had access to a specific database and, when I do get that question, it usually indicates that the client just wants to be reassured that I will use the best tools for the budget and scope of the project. I remember how long it took me to realize that, when clients asked for “a D&B report” on a competitor, they were really just asking for a well-organized overview of the company and were using the brand name as a generic indicator of the type of report they had in mind.
At an AIIP Annual Conference a number of years ago, Jan Davis (Blue Sage Research) gave a memorable presentation on research she had conducted on her own business. She hired a consultant to have conversations with some of her best clients, asking them questions like “How would you describe Jan’s services to a colleague?” and “Why do you use Jan rather than someone else?” The answers were often eye-opening and they helped Jan hone her marketing message using the words and phrases her clients use to describe her value.
I have done similar informational interviews with my favorite clients and, like Jan, have always learned something useful by seeing my value from my client’s point of view. Interestingly, I have never had a client cite my access to a specific resource or my professional background. Instead, they describe what happened after the engagement – “I know you’ve always got my back” or “You’re always so responsive.”
These informational interviews serve as periodic reminders that my clients care much more about why they are contacting me (they trust that I can address their information need) than about how I will go about addressing that need. In fact, one of the most important benefits of my AIIP membership is that, if I do encounter a situation in which I need access to a specialized database or expertise, I can always check the membership directory and find another member to whom I can subcontract that part of the project.
I have come to believe that an important solopreneurial skill is seeing each engagement from the eyes of our clients and understanding how our deliverable fits into their larger picture, so that we are always focused on their best outcome – the why – rather than on how we will complete the work.
Mary Ellen Bates has been an infopreneur since 1991. In addition to her business analysis services, she offers strategic coaching to new and long-time solopreneurs. See more at Reluctant-Entrepreneur.com or contact her at mbates@batesinfo.com or +1 303 772 7095.
