When conversations shift to the ways to attract and keep clients are: to give value and results or value and results are what clients crave, my eyes glaze over. I hear more blah, blah, blah. You may have just cringed inwardly for me. Or, wondered if my business provides shoddy work. Or, if I’ve shot myself in the foot by sharing this openly. Eeek! But I haven’t.
Here’s why those conversations hold little value for me…
I understand the reality of the question…seeking value is as vague as defining success. The definition isn’t the same for any two people. It’s not to say that value is elusive – never to be found. A business must stay grounded in knowing that circumstances and perceptions will influence value. Results are more concrete and can be measured. Results can be plotted, improved upon, and calculated. Results are tangible where value is not.
When clients and I define the type of results they are seeking I can help them. When they ask me to define and promise value I shake my head because they are searching for someone only they can put a tag on. Value is a moving target. Value is perception. What holds value in the moment may not hold as much value compared to something else on a different day.
I tire so easily with the conversations around giving value and results to avoid customers passing you by (based solely on price) for another virtual assistant. The heart of the question centers around “What else can I do with this $50?” The pivot point that sways someone to say “yes” is having them envision the end results and stamp a worth on that result.
Consider this scenario that was shared on a TedTalk: If someone said the price of a McDonald’s hamburger was $25 would you consider this too expensive? Many would agree and feel $25 is too much. Why? Because of comparisons. In our every day world someone could walk into McDonald’s and buy a hamburger for under $3. With a $3 to $25 comparison, the $25 seems inflated. If you were flying across the world on a 16-hour flight knowing flight attendants would be serving only peanuts and granola bars to sustain your hunger – think crash diet for 16 hours – and someone in the back section had a McDonald’s hamburger they would sell for $25, would this price seem too high then? Perhaps not.
What changed? Not the value because the product – the hamburger – didn’t change. The change was in the comparison and the importance that has now been assigned to this item.
When the conversation shifts to “she is more (or less) expensive than you” ask more questions to even the comparison playing field. The questions will quickly uncover the unique areas between the two business offerings, opening the conversation to talk about results and expectations. When it comes to results either your business can or cannot do X. X becomes the tangible that can be measured and bring the customer value.
I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts about value, results, and comparisons. Leave a comment and tell me what you think.