Oh, yeah. I went there.
- Point #1: I don’t really believe that
- Point #2: Unless I do
And I don’t. At all. But here’s the thing: your clients hired you because you have some sort of expertise that they need. You’re the expert on something. So why do you speak to them as though they understand the things that are second-nature to you?
I’m not for a moment suggesting that you treat your clients like children or speak to them that way. For that matter, I’m not suggesting you speak to your children “like children”. But when you have a multi-step process to explain and you start with “A”, go through “C”, and then skip to “R”, people who don’t know what you know won’t know what you’re talking about.
This doesn’t always matter, of course. You don’t care how your computer works, only that it works. You know, unless you’re Nick Burns, Your Company’s Computer Guy:
Now, here’s where it gets complicated:
- If clients don’t care, don’t teach
- If They do care don’t do it like Nick Burns; do it like The Computer Answer Guy.
- If they really don’t care, try something even cleaner, like PC-VIP.
But remember that as the expert it’s your job to know what your clients want to know, teach them, and then stop.
Not an easy tightrope to walk. And one you must master. Now . . . mooooooove.
