You know how clients expect you to hand over your best ideas for free so they can decide if they’ll pay you? They act like the hardest part—the actual solution—is just table stakes.
Let’s go full “know thy enemy” on this.
It’s easy to fear what we don’t understand, and I’ve seen good experts dread this facet of being a service provider. Hell, I’ve felt that dread myself.**
So why do many, otherwise rational-acting, clients treat the real work of strategizing and designing as if it holds no value, reducing you to a tool for execution rather than the expert they need?**
Some of it is bugs in human nature a.k.a. “biases”
– Action bias, seeing measurable outcomes and visible effort as value unlike “invisible” thinking
– Observer bias, the tendency to oversimplify complex problems and favor measure-ability over merit
– Pressure, leading to impatience of having some measurable “progress” to report ASAP
But let’s not be overly charitable – it’s not in their interest to change that view, as it enables them to retain power and profits in your relationship. As the poet John Heywood said, There are none so blind as those who do not wish to see.
The truth is unfortunately simple: they do it because they can get away with not being rational about it.
To guide them back, use numbers when explaining, and call out biases with absurd analogies when you can. I’ve seen it done and did it myself. You can, too.