Confusing what they want with what they want.

Most often, your customers will come to you asking for something specific.

Sure, they might be right.

And sure (as seen somewhere on linkedin), “they (customers) don’t ask for outcomes, they ask for capabilities“. 🤷

The thing is

1. They’re most likely wrong on what the specific thing they ask for is the proper one to apply. They’re (mostly) self-and-mis-diagnosed.
2. When they ask for “capabilities”, they treat and pay for what they procure as commodities. Highly replaceable.
3. The risk is on them —and the vendor/provider just does as is told.

While what they want might or might not be right, the thing they truly want is under covers. It’s your job to uncover it.

So that you can help them get what they want, not “what they want”.

You doing this changes the dynamic.

And for starters, have a higher and greater impact in the business.

And the greater the impact, the most you can take from it. A higher price. A premium.