Fit To Client

Here's a quote I'm pondering, from George Bernard Shaw:

“The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.”

Are you doing the same for your consulting clients and prospects?

• Before creating and sharing a marketing resource, article, or presentation, do you evaluate if it's the right content for their context?
• Before proposing a new service or solution, do you run any kind of diagnosis to ensure you work on the right problems?
• Before saying you can't make changes to a project, do you even try?

Much has been written about the rise of asset-based consulting. Leveraging your IP - and packaging them into sellable assets - is an option to increase profitability and make the business less reliant on you. But they do not give you permission to put your client's needs in second place.

The strongest productized offering will fail in the market if it fails to help your clients achieve their desired outcomes and make the changes they want to their business.

Before you start any client engagement, you should be able to answer this question: What would success look like on this? How will we know if it’s going well?

Think like the traditional tailor - measure the client every time he comes into your shop. It doesn't really matter if you have a ready-made suit that fits them, or you'll need to create a customized one. Consulting means putting them first.