Three Types of Clients: A Hypothesis on Maneuverability

When selling, it's easy to think all clients are the same. But the framework introduced by David C. Baker —broken down into three types of prospects—has stuck with me, and it's a game-changer. Knowing where your client stands can make all the difference.

Here's a breakdown of those three buckets and a hypothesis on maneuverability between them.

1) "Tell Me What to Do"

These are the clients who are looking for direction. They know they have a problem but don't know how to solve it. They don't need you to hold their hand—they need you to tell them exactly what to do. This is where you come in as the expert.

How to Spot Them:

• They're asking very specific questions.
• They want a clear, actionable solution.
• They're looking for answers, not advice.

What They Need: Clarity. These clients are stuck and want someone to show them the way. The faster you provide a roadmap, the faster they'll be off to the races.

2) "Do It For Me"

Then, there's the "do it for me" client. These people are not asking for advice and are not interested in a long, drawn-out conversation. They're paying you to handle things for them. They trust you to get it done, period.

How to Spot Them:

• They're delegating the work, not asking for your advice.
• They want results, not questions.
• They're focused on execution, not the details.

What They Need: Execution. These clients value speed and efficiency. They're not paying you for strategy—they're paying you to make things happen. Speed matters here, so cut to the chase and get things done.

3) "Borrowed Confidence"

This is where things get tricky, especially for those in consultative sales. The "borrowed confidence" client often appears to need a full strategy plan or deep insight into their situation, but in reality, they just need reassurance. These clients have already made tentative decisions (the "tell me what to do" stage), and they're capable of executing on their own (the "do it for me" phase), but they need someone to tell them, "Yes, you're making the right choice, and yes, you can do this."

The Problem:

• These clients aren't really looking for solutions—they are looking for reassurance.
• It's tempting to stay in this phase, constantly validating their decisions, but this doesn't move their business forward. It's a cycle of providing temporary confidence without addressing long-term needs.
• "Happy ears" come into play here—where clients give you the feedback you want to hear, but you're not getting any closer to an objective decision. You're stuck in the hamster wheel of consulting without real progress.

How to Handle Them:

• Recognize that they already have the answers—they need the confidence to act.
• Help them exercise their own decision-making power. Give them the validation they need, but don't keep them dependent on you.
• Encourage them to own their decisions and move forward. This is about empowerment, not constant reassurance.

The Hypothesis: Maneuverability Between the Buckets

Here's where I throw a little hypothesis into the mix. If we imagine these three client types as buckets, lined up from left to right, here's how I think it works:

1. From #1 to #2 is the most natural shift. If a client starts in the "tell me what to do" stage and starts seeing success, they might shift into the "do it for me" phase. Once you give them direction and they feel empowered, they may trust you to handle execution while they focus on other things.
2. From #1 to #3 is also possible. Clients who've received guidance may need that final nudge to trust themselves and act independently, moving into borrowed confidence. This often happens when you've provided clarity and reassurance at the same time.
3. From #2 to #3 is difficult but possible—once clients get what they need to be done, they might want reassurance about what comes next. But once you're in #2, going anywhere else is hard. These clients are action-oriented, and they need you to execute. They don't need advice—they need results.
4. Moving from #3 to #1 or #2 is rare. Once a client relies on your confidence to make decisions, it's tough to get them back into a position where they're asking for advice or delegating the execution to you. It's tough to move back from borrowed confidence into action-driven modes.

So why does this matter? The most valuable clients are the ones who can move to #3, where they trust their own decision-making and move forward with confidence. However, so many consultative sales processes fail to get clients to this point. What's the point of providing a service or solution if you don't empower your clients to make confident decisions on their own?

The more you understand these dynamics, the better equipped you'll be to handle each client type effectively and move them toward a more empowered, confident future.

The goal for the?borrowed confidence?client isn't just to offer reassurance. It's to empower them to make decisions without constantly coming back for validation. You've done your job once you help them realize they can do it themselves. And that's the true value we should be aiming for.