The Gap To Expertise

Power of asking ‘The Why’. A notion that escaped me for a long time, until it clicked.

The Why is the gap between a mere Employee and an Expert.

A couple of years ago I got introduced to the concept of discovery. A concept foreign to a lot of early stage Agencies, Service Providers, and Startups. A concept that, when armed effectively, can be the difference between a $1,000 client and a $10,000 client.

Phrases like white glove service, hands on approach, and tailored solutions get thrown around the digital services space. But it all starts here, understanding ‘The Why’.

These 3 ways of navigating the Why’osphere will help you jump the gap from where you are to where you want to be.

1. Empathy and Scalability

Everyone says they care about their clients, but if you are taking on 20 clients a month and running them through a process optimized for a fast buck, do you really care?

You don’t. Simple.

Instead, empathize with your clients. Ask them the right why behind the what that needs to be done. Do this well enough and you will need fewer clients, because the fewer will be more valuable over time.

The same logic applies to anything else you claim to care about, be it learning, working, or earning. If you care, then care with focus.

Quality over Quantity.

2. Identifying the ‘Right’ Solution

With enough time and money, you can build the next YouTube. Maybe not so efficiently, but you can.

The question, however, is should you be building the next YouTube? In most cases the answer is no.

In software dev, tell me how many times you have heard ‘I want to get X built, which is like Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, or Facebook, BUT for Y’.

Again, in many cases, that is just. not. feasible.

But if you can uncover the why behind the what, you will be armed with the knowledge to direct them toward a more feasible future. Rather than signing them up for something there is no budget or time for.

A minimum viable product is the goal (although that term has its own issues, for another time perhaps).

3. Identifying Opportunities

This is the money maker, the main difference between companies that provide services and companies that provide true partnerships.

If you never work on the why behind the initial needs, you will never know where else you can fill the gaps for your clients and offer them a better solution as a package.

I know every Agency tries to do ‘everything under the Sun’, an approach that isn’t a good idea in the long run, but in the short run you should try to accommodate wherever you can. Partner with your clients instead of just being on their payroll. That shift, from headcount to partner, is the whole value proposition advantage.

You are limited by the value you provide.

Asking the Whys will:

• Filter your clients for a more scalable business model
• Help you identify the right solutions to a problem
• Create a better long term opportunity for your business

So next time someone wants something done, ask the Why first. Then jump to the What.

With or without my help – I wish you the best.

---

---