Are you an executor, expert or partner?
In the book Flawless advice Peter Block describes the importance of a good intake. He argues that the conversation between client and professional at the beginning of a process significantly influences its success. If you don't align expectations properly at that stage, things can easily go wrong later on.
You can assume three roles from the start of your assignment. Block distinguishes between "advisory roles": executor, expert, and partner.
- In the role of executor As a professional, you only take care of the execution. You ask, we deliver.
- A client who a expert If you're looking for help, leave the diagnosis to you. The professional determines the content. You ask, and I know best what's best for you.
- The professional is Partner When he and the client collaborate to solve the problem. You don't work for clients, but with them. You encourage your client to think and guide their thinking process. You only apply your expertise when you're certain you're solving the right problem.
The model helps you become aware of your role and your relationship with the client. All roles have advantages and disadvantages.
In practice, you're never 100% in any one of the three roles. And you can always assess your satisfaction with the role you're currently in, depending on the situation.
In the executor role, you assume the client knows what you should do. And that's not always the case. The pitfall of the expert role, on the other hand, is that we rely too much on our own knowledge and skillfully solve the wrong problem.
In a purchasing conversation, we primarily focus on the role of partner. Our client poses a question, and we first explore the underlying question with them. We get your client thinking. Only then do we propose solutions. And we involve the client in this process as well.
This requires knowledge of the client's problem and the solution the professional provides. In their partner role, the client and professional can work together to arrive at the correct diagnosis.
The partner role also helps with the transition from hourly billing offer services to more projects, which many organizations want.
But that does mean you have to let your client think and suspend your own judgment for a moment. You put your client to work.
Letting your client work while you relax isn't easy. Many professionals are very service-oriented and used to thinking in terms of solutions for their clients. It's not easy to keep quiet and let clients think things through.
Techniques that help include asking good questions; focusing more on the question behind the question, not on the desired solution. The COW (Closing Jaws) and Naming What Is…
This article was written by Jan Willem van den Brink and Maarten van Os from DreamfactoryIt's based on a chapter from our book Client Wanted – Acquiring as part of your job.
If you wish to use it, we would greatly appreciate attribution.
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