Do you remember a favourite teacher from school, someone whose class you always enjoyed? Do you remember what you learned? I do.
I believe that the work we do with clients can benefit them long after we are gone. We may fail to realise that our value lies in our client’s ability to repeatedly use or apply a new technique in their organisation, presentation, or lifestyle that we have introduced.
Let me give you an example. I helped a client create strategic 3-year growth maps to outline their goals and measurements, and when I visited them two years later, they still had the map. He pulled out the flip chart and said, “Mort, have a look at this, I regularly look at this map to see if we are on or off track with the goals we set out at that time. “Long after I had finished working with them, they were still benefiting from it.
I recall a health coach whose client was overweight, suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, and if he did not make a radical change, his life expectancy was uncertain. The coach worked with him and introduced a new routine of exercise and nutrition, and eight months later, he was a different person. Whenever we speak, he will always say that coach saved my life. I now have new habits and routines which I benefit from every day.
When you are quoting for work, remember how much your client can repeatedly benefit from the approach or technique they have learned from you. When using your designs, photographs, and implementing a new process, it is not about the time spent, but the value.
I believe value is linked not only to the results achieved, but the benefits gained long after you’re gone.
