I have been meeting possible partners to help develop a new website. As always, these people want me to give them a brief. Basis which they will give me a proposal with a fee and timeline. “What do you need in your website?” If only I knew the answer to that question… I don’t know what I need. And that is my problem and your opportunity if you see it that way. I need experience and expertise. It would be a bonus to work with a website consultant who loves their line of work.
It is a pleasure to be in the presence of someone who knows what they are doing and loves who they are being while doing it. To know something is what gives you the edge. To really know it deep down, and have mastery over the subject, possibly that’s what makes knowledge so valuable. The ability to apply the knowledge instinctively and when it’s most needed requires expertise and experience that flows with ease. The troika of knowing, doing, and being have to line up for this kind of knowledge to be on display.
Most of the people I messaged, messaged me back with a vanilla proposal. Outlining a scope and their credentials with some samples of work they had done. The problem of plenty stared me in the face. Who to choose? The expert knows how to build a website. Wireframe. Coding. Design and user interface. Once I know what I need there are many partners at different price points available to build my website. There are even some DIY or do it yourself options that could be a solution if I had the time and the inclination.
I come back to the question. “What do I need my website to be able to do?” One person (let’s call him Sandy) I spoke with stood out from the crowd. Sandy helped me see things that I could not see. His voice of experience added another dimension to the question of what I need in my website… “Today and in the future…”. And then Sandy helped me to think a bit more. What is the feature set I need? Do I plan to have a Blog section? Will there need to be a subscription base for a newsletter on the website? Maybe a way to archive the newsletter? How about a plugin for digital download? Will it be partly free content and then maybe at a future date some value-added stuff to be hosted behind a subscription wall or premium subscription? Do I need to plan for some e-commerce?
I don’t know what I don’t know. And that is where the voice of experience plays a powerful role. The similarities between the communication consultant and the coach at this early stage in any client relationship are clear. Helping find clarity around what the client wants to work with is the key to success. Knowing how to do this is as powerful as knowing how to build the website. Creating a space for the problem or opportunity statement to come to the surface. Ensuring that the client is clear about what they want. That in itself is of great service. That gives the website the edge it needs to succeed. Knowing what the client wants before beginning the work is the best way to deliver good work.
In the world of coaching, this falls under coaching competence No. 3, ‘Establishing and maintaining agreements’ Where we ask a client at the beginning of a session some simple questions. Like “What do you want to accomplish in today’s session?” And then maybe “What specific element from that do you want to focus on today?” Possibly followed by “How would you know by the end of your session that you have figured out you have got what you came for?” The work begins at the end of this clarity.
This is where a client gets to frame the opportunity, examine what is truly important and then get set to go after it. Similarly, in the world of communication, where I was seeking help to build a website, at the end of this journey of questions and discover is the time to create the website.
The really important work happens before the build begins. To help the client know what they want, what makes it important to them, and what success will look like. This is the edge that knowledge brings with it. This is where the combination of experience and expertise shines through. There are lots of experts out there for sure. My experience tells me, that it is always good to find an expert who has experience.
When a website becomes a place to start from and not just a place to go to, magic happens. Helping clients understand what they want, why they want it and what success looks like is what the voice of experience brings to the table. And when you know how to deliver that you have an edge.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
A trusted coaching and communications professional, Nikhil Dey is a certified life and leadership coach (International Coach Federation - ICF). Nurturing talent and helping clients achieve their goals is what makes him happy. He loves learning from students of communication, teaching courses and guest lecturing at various educational institutions. When he is not working you will find him on the tennis court or out for long walks with his family and four legged friends.
Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Weber Shandwick and Genesis BCW.
He can be reached on twitter @deydreaming
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