Dear Future Client: Part One

This information will teach you how to get what you want from a consultancy.

Truthfully. We want you to be successful. 

Introduction

When I first started Go Nimbly, we found ourselves working with SaaS companies who said they needed our help, but in reality, they weren’t ready to maximize our recommendations. 

These clients did not have the tools to engage, communicate, act upon, or give feedback to utilize their consulting relationship fully. 

As a result, what could have been a blissful experience full of learning and excitement turned into a series of painful battles, where time and cash were spilled.

I like to think we still won the war and ultimately delivered, but the road to victory often felt like a hellish nightmare for everyone involved. 

Okay, maybe I’m melodramatic, but consider this: there are a ton of books on how consultants or service companies should treat their clients, but not one on how clients should engage, address and utilize consulting companies. Isn’t that odd? 

There are books on how to buy a car, but not on how to purchase consulting services. 

So I wanted to write down what I think it takes to be a good client.

Now, I’m going to emphasize this once: good doesn’t mean easy. I don’t want easy work. I don’t want easy clients. I want good, earth-shattering problems to solve. I want good, empathetic clients. 

What good means to me is a client who knows how to get the most out of the work I’m doing. 

I know it’s not easy to ask for help. But I want you to be ready to use it. 

Which kind of person asking for help do you want to be?

Whenever consultants get together at a bar, we talk about bad clients. I guess a better way of saying that is when consultants drink we talk about “difficult” clients. These difficult client stories always start the same--with optimism and alignment--and then before long, they collapse into horror stories of consultants feeling like they were forced into making decisions that went against what they knew best. 

Why does this happen? Were these “difficult” clients just jerks? No. These clients wanted it to work. Ultimately, they didn’t know how to make it work.

I’m not trying to make this your fault; there are some terrible consultants out there. So I’ll help you spot those too.

I’m also not saying screw the “difficult” clients. I’m grateful to every client I’ve ever worked for. Good or bad, they have allowed me to do what I love.

I believe there is no space in this world to spend on undue hardship. After all, we, the consultants, and you, the clients, want the same thing. Getting to that goal should be fun! 

These statements can save you money. Get you better results. And ensure you are at the bar with your consulting team drinking the martini instead of being drunk about. 

Disclaimer

These statements are the hopes and dreams of a lifelong consultant. I know the real world sometimes stops us from behaving ideally. But if you just skim these once, I promise you that these tips will improve your relationship with your consulting partners. No one is perfect. I’ve never had a client nail all of these qualities. 

Call me an optimist, but maybe you could be the first?

This is part one in a series that I will share the qualities I think a client must try to embody in order to maximize consulting services. This is excerpt from a book that I'm writing for Go Nimbly.