When Less Is the Result of More

'There are two rules to staying an expert. 1 - Never tell anyone everything you know.............and that's it.

Forgive me for repeating a somewhat timeworn tale but I’m confident you will identify with it. It’s about what can happen when you become so effortlessly expert at what you do that folk think it’s as easy as falling off a log!

The tale is about the industrialist whose production line breaks down at a cost of many millions per day. After a long search he finds an expert who upon investigating his machine takes out a screwdriver, turns one screw and the machine whirrs  into action. He presents a bill to the factory owner for £10,000. Somewhat baffled and indeed affronted by the bill, the owner demands an itemisation.

The expert responds; “for turning the screw: £1. For knowing which screw to turn: £9999.”

How does this apply to you? Well, most folk want to see and feel that they are getting real value for money but ironically, the more expert you become at what you do, the easier you make it look. A client may come to the erroneous conclusion “if it’s that easy why am I paying so much for it?”

The moral of this story is to never undersell what you do for your clients.

Explain the process you have taken to deliver their piece of work; outline the training you have undergone and the qualifications gained in order to deliver such a fantastic service in a timeframe that’s a consequence of your expertise and talent. Let your clients know they are getting value in spades because your experience and expertise enables them to have results in a much shorter time frame than a lesser experienced mortal!

When we are paying for services in particular, most of us are looking for a specific result. But we’re just as keen to see that the person we’re paying has broken a sweat on our behalf!