Written by: Vickie Sullivan | August 09, 2022
2 Ways to Position Risk with Your Clients
Right now, I’m beating the Phoenix heat with a cross-country road trip to New England. My trips this summer have taught me a lot about expectations and experimentation when it comes to taking risk.
While on the road, I often do things for the first time. Instead of looking at this as creative “play,” I brought a suitcase full of expectations. Why? Because I saw my adventures as a “project” where the outcome really mattered to me. And that’s the worst mindset to have when trying something new.
Now think about that from your clients’ point of view. How do you position the risk of trying new things out with them? Here’s an idea: Try reframing expectations towards what you can control.
Here are two ways to address risk:
• From expertise to experiment. You are confident in your expertise. However, you can’t predict how you will apply that in real time when addressing a client’s unique situation. So, admit that up front by reframing the results from a sure thing to “we’ll get there, but it’s gonna be an adventure.” By reminding clients during the sales process that success isn’t a linear process, you position risk as part of the experience.
• From timelines to impact. Every project has benchmarks. But none of us can guarantee timelines when neither side controls all the players. You can position this risk with a short trip to the dark side. By admitting up front that balls might be dropped by either of you, you can assure the client of what can be done to withstand the delay.
Listen: How to Determine If the Risk Is Worth It
When you focus expectations on what you can control, you not only give the client a clear heads-up, but you also give them accurate assumptions about the pros and cons of trying new ideas. In this chaotic world, isn’t that the best you can get?
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