The math in overservicing
Today, it’s about how overservicing can also hurt you. In Paul’s head, overservicing will delight his customer, Marie. It’ll get Marie to always work with him. Unfortunately, what’s actually happening is that Paul’s training Marie to expect way more than what they pay for —at Paul’s own expense. → The promise Paul makes: X → But Paul also works extra on things that are nice-to-haves to Marie, or are out of scope —without previously thinking and/or budgeting for them.The promise to Marie: XThe…
Behind the math
If you see a bit further than underpromising, overdelivering, overservicing, you’ll find that most of it is linked with one question: “Will they accept my proposal?” When people don’t understand what they’re getting, the only thing they’ll get back to (and do understand) is price. So your default to answer this questions revolves around, yup: price. In this context, it’s (hopefully) a set price (and not an estimate/rate) and about how (if) delight could happen —only after the acceptance of…
Looking under the hood
Under promising, over delivering, over servicing are not really the problems. They’re symptoms. And they have a few drivers: Cost-based PriceAt the center of the decision-making. Will the price be attractive enough to justify what I offer? FearAt the core of making the offering. Will it be good enough so my proposal doesn’t get rejected (or worse: ghosted)? WorthAt the core of linking the offering to you. Is it a reflection of my worth? Self-worthAt the center of your offering building. If…
Being open and honest.
While underpromising and overdelivering might seem like a good tactic to delight your customers because you want to have some buffer, don’t. There’s another way. You can be open and honest —that’s the core of business, right? Being honest with your customers— and say you don’t know exactly how long or how much exactly it’ll take. That you’ll put in some buffer, just in case. Sure, you can give an estimate of the time, or even a timeline. Just please don’t lie. Friend-of-the-list Jonathan…
Giving your ideas away
What if —instead of overservicing and overdelivering— you’d give your ideas for free? What if you open your methodologies? Your approaches? The way you see a particular problem and how you’d fix it? What would your answer to that be? 🙂
After giving your ideas away —for free.
Pre-S: First off, you’re way ahead. I cherish you for this. 🙂 Replies to yesterday’s email were around “that’s the only way to get ahead”. But that’s not the regular response in several industries. There’s a lot of angst around that very question: What if you give your ideas away? Here’s what might happen. Your clients will know how you do the work. Your clients will see how easy it is for you to solve a specific problem Your competitors will build on your ideas. Your approaches will be…
Should you?
Should you get mad or upset when you get a new unsubscribe? Should you take it personal when you get a hard no on a sale? Should you get offended when receiving an argument against your argument? Truth is, I don’t know if you “should”. What I do know though, is that a… New unsub means they’re not quite your fit. Either not finding what you have, of value; not in the right time to keep reading you; or who knows. It’s not like you insulted them and called them names, right? No is the second…
You don’t fire prospects.
Going along with your power of choice can help you be at your best with the people you like and care for. However, when talking with prospects, you don’t fire them. You can’t. What you can do is telling them no, which is withholding your expertise, advice or offering (your greatest power). You can’t fire them, because you never received payment from them. They’re not clients. You can’t fire them, because there’s nothing real at stake. They don’t have skin in the game —nor do you. Filtering…
Your price is not the problem
A common thread that comes when talking on pricing ANY offering comes as: “I believe my prices are too high. I think i’ll lower them.” When digging for the reasons, one recurrent is: “My potential clients have told me so.” If that’s the gist of the problem you’re facing, here’s a question for you: If you cut your prices to 50%, would it automatically double your clients, customers, guests? Would you have people lining up because you’ll be over capacitiy? Just think of that. 🙂
Maybe your pricing is not the problem
Maybe —if you’re not offering the same thing anyone else could do— your pricing is not the problem Your prospecting is. It’s either too broad. Too general. Or misplaced. More doesn’t mean better. Maybe this helps. Fill in the blanks: I help [THIS SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE] who [ARE FACING THIS SPECIFIC CHALLENGE/PROBLEM] get [THIS KIND OF RESULTS/IMPROVEMENTS] so that they can [GET THIS SPECIFIC KIND OF OUTCOME]. Would love to know what you do. 🙂
