

I sell services, what the $%# should I sell (Part 4-- reducing risk) - reubenswartz
http://www.mimiran.com/proposals/i-sell-services-how-the-should-i-sell-part-4-reducing-risk/

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mkonda
Too bad customers don't even know what they want half the time. I think you
have to build a vision for them that they can buy into. Which only really
works for higher end jobs.

I like the ideas behind this blog series. I need to revisit continually as I
put together proposals. Thanks!

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reubenswartz
True-- customers often don't know what they want. This can be frustrating when
you are trying to sell them something, but think of a time you had to buy
something when you didn't have expertise.

I often think about the time my wife and I did some landscaping. The vendors
had to deal with 2 stakeholders who didn't know what they wanted, and didn't
have the exact same priorities or budgets. The vendor had to help step us
through the decision making process, presenting us with options and trade
offs. In many cases, customers aren't ready to implement the whole vision, but
may just want to do a phase or 2.

An even more extreme example is the doctor-- they have to deal with situations
where there are big consequences for the patient, but the patient has little
knowledge. The doctor has other lock-in benefits that most professionals lack,
but the basic process is the same.

