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The
Guerrilla Consultant -
a newsletter dedicated to applying the principles
of Guerrilla Marketing to the work and lives of
consultants.
If You Want a Simple Answer, Don't Ask an Expert
Not long ago, I heard a client complain about an alarming lack of clarity in his consultant's explanations. Unfortunately, it's not an uncommon client complaint. Too often, the language of "expertise" is needlessly complicated and drowning in jargon.
The consultants I know would agree that we're not supposed to add complexity to our clients' lives. But sometimes we do it unintentionally. Successful professionals know the rule: keep it simple. That's often harder than it sounds.
And that's the subject of this month's newsletter.
Enjoy the article, and
let
me know what you think.
Mike
McLaughlin
Coauthor, Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants Principal, MindShare Consulting LLC
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The Power of Simplicity
Anyone who has been in this business for long knows the basics of selling and marketing professional services. In short, offer compelling value, focus on client needs, and build trusting relationships. Miss these table stakes and you'll be out of business in no time.
What's easy to overlook, especially under the pressure of deadlines, is the power of keeping things simple in all your communications with clients.
It's easy to understand why simplicity gets sacrificed in so many interactions.
For starters, simplicity is often (wrongly) associated with a lack of sophistication. According to conventional wisdom, no one wants to be thought of as simple.
If you buy into that nonsense, just look at Apple's iPod or Amazon's Kindle. Both are built on amazingly complex technology, delivered in deceptively simple, elegant designs.
Naturally, client issues aren't iPods. Their situations are rarely simple and the solutions to tough problems are usually complex. And it is important for you to understand all the angles and options before taking a stand.
Still, clients will reward those who can organize and explain the most complex matters in a way that "non-experts" can easily understand. That way, clients can use their brains to evaluate--not decipher--what they hear.
| "But when time gets tight, simplicity is often the unwitting victim of expediency." |
If anything, it takes more effort to distill what you've learned and communicate it with the appropriate degree of nuance and insight. But when time gets tight, simplicity is often the unwitting victim of expediency. It's common to hear a consultant claim that, "I'll simplify this presentation when we discuss the project with the client at the meeting." Somehow, that never happens.
Maybe it seems safer to tell the client everything you learned to avoid the risk of being caught without a fact at your fingertips. But top practitioners know their job is to make the complex seem simple. Or, as Albert Einstein once remarked, "Things should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."
Spur Decision Making
A simple explanation makes it easier and faster for clients to evaluate any proposal or recommendation. Few things bog down a proposal more than a drawn-out decision process. Express your complex ideas simply and watch your client's response time speed up.
| "If a client can confidently explain your ideas to others, you multiply your influence among decision makers. " |
An added benefit is that simple concepts spread more readily. If a client can confidently explain your ideas to others, you multiply your influence among decision makers. When your ideas begin to take hold, you'll see excitement for them build quickly.
Most importantly, though, your ability to simplify complexities is a potent testament to your expertise. The consulting industry is full of people who love to hear themselves talk. But clients respect those who choose their words carefully, strive for clarity, and emphasize understanding. Those consultants get quicker return calls and decisions from clients, and more opportunities for new work.
The Roadblocks to Simplicity
Unfortunately, needless complexity is rampant in our industry. Firms create multi-volume proposals when a few pages would suffice. Consultants inundate clients with incomprehensible charts and color-tabbed reports that ultimately end up lifeless on a credenza. Such wasteful practices strike at the heart of simplicity. But the real enemy of simplicity is often our own expertise.
It's common for experts to over-explain their analyses, opinions, and solutions. We've all seen presentations that delve too deeply into a morass of facts to support minor conclusions. Granted, it's essential for you to understand the nitty-gritty details to dissect the problem and draw a conclusion. That's what clients pay for. But that doesn't mean clients need to take the same tiresome journey with you.
| "It's common for experts to over-explain their analyses, opinions, and solutions." |
I can't ever remember a time when I looked at a consulting presentation and said, "We need to add more detail." Instead, aim to axe the extraneous. The next time you look at a client proposal, recommendation, or other communication, ask yourself this: "What would I say to this client if I had just five minutes to speak?" The answer to that is the core of your message.
Complexity also seeps into marketing and sales efforts. Some consultants mistakenly believe that they have to portray their expertise as complex. Or as one consultant said, "Unless I make the project seem complicated, I fear the client will take my ideas and do the project without me." The result of this approach is predictable--long-winded proposals, convoluted work plans, and confused clients.
To keep your marketing and sales communications powerful and simple, be sure you're answering the three questions every client has:
- Do you really understand what we need?
- Can you do what you claim?
- Will you work well with us?
If you had only five minutes to answer these three questions, what would you say? Your response should be the basis for a convincing explanation of why you're the best one for the job.
Taming Complexity
We all have opportunities to simplify some aspect of our business. Here are three ideas on how you can bring more simplicity to client service.
Don't Boil the Ocean--or Think Big, Start Small: When you face a complex client issue, resist the urge to address it all at once. Nothing will get you wrapped around the axle faster than trying to come up with a "grand plan" at the outset. Of course, you want to fashion a long-term strategy, but decompose the project into its logical parts.
Be directional with your long-term objective and precise with your short-term plans. Start small, keep making progress, and remember the ancient Chinese proverb: a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
| "Nothing will get you wrapped around the axle faster than trying to come up with a 'grand plan' at the outset." |
Limit the Number of Options: There's always more than one way to do anything, and it's good to give clients choices. Alternatives offer clients flexibility in how they'd like to work with you, which most clients will appreciate. But you can have too much of a good thing.
I once read a "modular" proposal that included three options for scope, two alternatives for a schedule, three options for an approach, and three payment options. The clients decided that evaluating all the options would be a waste of time, and that the proposal was a potential indicator of how the consultant would conduct the project. They gave the work to a competitor.
You're the expert. Present no more than three options along with a recommendation on which one you think is best. Once you go beyond three alternatives, you're introducing unwanted complexity.
Question Your Perception: Your views on the relative simplicity of your communications are probably not the most objective. If you want to know if you've done a good job simplifying a complex issue, ask someone you trust to read your proposal or listen to your presentation. Heed the advice you get and you'll become a better judge of your own work.
The most successful consultants know that the real secret to simplifying the complex is the ability to "see" from the perspective of the non-expert. Until you are willing and able to get out of your own head and see the world as your client does, you'll struggle to achieve the simplicity that your clients are searching for.
Sounds simple enough, right?
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