A public agency asked a planning consultant about creating an economic impact study. The consultant contacted the economic development expert to invite thim to be on the team. Let's call the planner Steve and the expert L.K. Nove (all names are changed.)
Steve, busy on a number of projects, asks Nove how much it would cost to do an economic impact study for the public agency.
$20,000 to $120,000 was L.K.'s quick answer.
"OK, I didn't give him enough information to give me a better range," Steve thought. So Steve asked Nove what the client could get for $20,000, $60,000 and $120,000.
Nove responded with a long, rambling email saying, in effect: You don't get much for $20,000, you get some good information for $120,000, and sometimes these studies are even more expensive. He said nothing about what tasks he might perform.
Steve thanked L.K. for his time and decided that he would never ask him to do any work again. Nor would he ever recommend L.K. for any project -- despite the fact that L.K. was a known expert. And if somebody asked him about L.K., he would have no comment, a signal that many people in the private sector understand.
When busy people or clients have questions, they are going to rely on those advisors who can give them clear answers. Steve indirectly asked L.K. what tasks he might perform for specific dollar amounts. Rather than answering that question, L.K. gave an unasked-for interpretation. This just made Steve frustrated and angry. It also made Steve wonder, "If L.K. can't answer my questions, how can I trust him to answer my client's questions?"
You might say that Steve should have been clearer in his request. But it is the job of the advisor to understand not just what the client says, but what the client means.
Client competency skills are not just nice to have. In the Internet age, where professionals in our field know most of the same things as their competitors (or could find out easily), your success depends more on your emotional intelligence than on your technical expertise.
Some clients know exactly what they want and need, and can make themselves clear to their advisors. (Often, these clients don't need consultants; they need an extra pair of hands.)
Many clients know they face conditions they want to manage more effectively, or change. These clients usually have some ideas about how to address the issue, and so they ask advisors if they can do X, Y, or Z. But often, what they really want to know is: "Can you figure out the best way to reach my goals? Can I entrust you with this responsibility?"
In other words, a client's question about tasks is clear, but the client's question about goals is present, but unstated. A good advisor works to understand both the clients wants (stated questions) and interests (unstated questions). To do that, the advisor needs to ask questions of the client to better understand the unstated concerns or interests.
Considering this, L.K. should have:
- Made it clear what tasks he would perform (answer the stated question)
- Asked Steve what was his understanding of the client's wants and interests.
- Explained how the quality of the analysis would improve if the client were to spend more.
It could have been arrogance. L.K. is recognized as an expert on economic impact and he might have felt this his opinions were as valuable as his facts.
It might have been that L.K. didn't know enough to answer Steve's question. But because he felt he had to give an answer, he talked around the question.
Or it could be that, like many professionals in planning, development or public design, L.K. has more training and experience in speaking ('profess'-ing) than in listening.
We don't know. But we do know that L.K. lost at least one potential client, and all the others that Steve will work with in the future.
Learning opportunities:
The Leading Institute's Leading from the Middle program can help you be a more influential advisor. It is designed for urban planners, community and economic development professionals, and others who need to influence, but don't have the ability to coerce others, or would rather persuade than demand.
For more on understanding clients better:
Flawless Consulting and The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook, by Peter Block
SPIN Selling and The SPIN Selling Fieldbook, by Neil Rackham
1 comment:
Very good advice in this piece. I find myself in that positin often and have learned that at time is peak before I mlisten or I talk around the subject. I've learned two thiings. To say I don't know, and to listen better. Listening, like writing cogently, are two skills that are invaluable to planners.
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