I was recently “interviewed” by a prospective client looking for help with her health. She had clearly done her homework. She had studied my website in detail, checked me out on social media and then she called me with a pre-prepared list of questions to examine my qualifications, where I had studied, what experience I had in dealing with her particular health problem and how I might approach her case. (After some prior bad experiences with other health providers she wanted to be sure I was the right expert for her). She then thanked me and hung up. A week later, after she had time to consider, she rang back and booked in for her first appointment. It got me thinking. I was impressed that she took her decision on who to trust with her health so seriously and pleased that she ran me through my paces. It meant that when she came in to see me we had already established the beginnings of an open and honest working relationship and a level of trust. So, why should you put some time and effort into choosing your expert provider?
- You want someone who has the theoretical knowledge and practical experience necessary to understand the problem you are trying to solve.
- You want someone who will listen to your story, understand where you are coming from and what you are trying to achieve.
- Your provider needs to be resourceful. They may need to help you work out what your actual problem is (it may not be what you think) and if they don’t have the solution at hand they will know where to go to find it.
- They need to be capable of tailoring a solution to your needs (including financial and time constraints, ease of implementation, and degree of difficulty).
- You want someone who will treat your problem as if it was their own.
- You want someone who knows their limitations and when to refer you to someone else.
What can you do to ensure you get a positive outcome first time?
- Spend some time thinking about what it is you want from your provider. Be clear on the expected outcome.
- Clarify how much involvement you want to have in the solution, what your budget is, how much time you have to commit to working on the problem.
- Identify what qualifications and experience you expect them to have
- Sign up to their newsletters, follow them on social media and generally get a feel for their operating style. “Google” them.
- Call them and ask as many questions as you want. If they seem frustrated with all the questions, maybe that is a warning sign. After all, you will be paying them to provide a service. You are the client.
- Ask for referrals (this can be tricky sometimes due to privacy considerations).
- Ask them to outline their processes. Does that sound like the approach you are looking for?
Finally, when you have chosen your preferred provider, be prepared to invest some time in building a relationship. You’ve gone to the trouble of finding the right person so you want the relationship to last the distance and evolve as your needs change. Be open and honest. The better they know you, the better they will be able to serve your needs. So, whether you are choosing the person to trust with your health, your finances, your marketing, your website or something else that is equally precious to you. Take the time, like my client did, to get the choice right.
