Selling Experience

Most people expect engineers to engineer, lawyers to lawyer, doctors to doctor, accountants to account, investors to invest, and so on. We expect professionals to do what they advertise. It’s interesting though – all things being equal – and assuming all are true to their brand and ability, we don’t grade the performance of professionals and their enterprises primarily in regards to their technical work product and deliverable. We expect appropriate results regardless. What we typically judge and grade the work by relates to “soft skills” – like listening, communication, fairness, responsiveness, etc. This is why when we purchase a service, it’s not really what we are buying. We are really buying an EXPERIENCE. Look at customer evaluations. They have little to do with the technical work product because that’s what is expected; it’s just one category. We want an interaction that will make our life easier and better; order in the midst of chaos; someone to make life and work as easy as possible as they sort out our problem. That’s value. Bring as much competency to the table as you can as a professional. Be better technically. But all things being equal, it’s the experience that people will remember.