I have a beef with developers.
There, I said it.
It’s nothing to do with their skillset or industry, rather with their approach to clients.
In the last couple of months I’ve been also working to write copy for a couple of big development agencies. It’s a great way to change pace from the typical SaaS or Ecommerce.
Anyway, while interviewing their team members one thing jumped out…
A lot of developers, and in general technical service providers, have huge expectations for what their clients should know.
So at the first sign that prospects don’t have every single spec clearly scoped out, they start glazing over. And worst of all, step into a “know-it-all” mindset.
Fair enough you’d say, if a client is reaching out with a project in mind, they better be ready to spill the beans on what exactly they want.
But that’s where the problem is.
Developers often look for what the client wants – not what they need.
Which is what sets those who can do both apart.
Part of working well with clients (and getting referrals) is perfecting and caring about the discovery process as much as the execution part.
Jumping into the world of product, it’s the same.
Unless you know what your prospects both want and need, you’re in trouble. The way I see it, sell people what they want, but give them what they need. It’s the only sure fire way to guarantee long term business relationships.
When it comes to services, it might mean digging deep into the strategy and make sure you flesh out all the details even before implementing.
And for products, it’s all about the user experience before the sale and the customer experience after.
In general, this is a good reminder to never scoff at people who don’t have a crystal clear idea of how you can help them. Often times their intuition of the fact that you can indeed help them, somehow, someway, is enough.
Be willing to listen and understand.
P.S. The last episode of my mastermind / podcast went live a couple of days ago. You can hear and watch me rant about Facebook pixels, share how I use ChatGPT, talk about some of my favorite recent books and more.
Quote and reflection of the day:
“When you turn pro, your life gets very simple. The Zen monk, the artist, the entrepreneur often lead lives so plain they’re practically invisible.”
– Steven Pressfield, Turning Pro
True professionals can make their inner world more attractive than their outer world while enjoying both equally. It’s a perfect balance between wanting things without needing them. A continuous focus on the process.
