Clients Don’t Always Want What They Need

Your clients hire you because you’re an expert in what you do. They’ve come to you because you have experience and skills that they don’t, and you can design, build, or deliver something they can’t.

Every client worth working with is passionate about their thing, and will have a specific way they want it to turn out. It’s pretty rare for a client to say, “Yeah, sure. However this turns out and whatever this looks like is totally fine with me. You guys just do whatever you want.”

And therein lies the tension. Because we’re experts in whatever it is the client has hired us for, we can see, sometimes painfully clearly, that there is a difference between what they want and what they need.

So what do we do?

We all, on some level, know that the right path — the one that has the best chance of leading to lasting success for both the client and for us — is to give them what they need even if it’s different than what they want. But this isn’t easy, is it?

Here are a few things we’ve found to be helpful here at Human Design as we work to lead our clients to what they need instead of what they want.

Let’s call what the client wants Option A.

Let’s call what the client needs Option B.

What not to do

First, let’s take a look at some of the common mistakes we’ve seen (or have made) in the past.

1. We hate disagreeing, so we surrender. (“The White Flag Approach”)

It’s easy to say we want to stand up for what we know and feel to be true. But the truth is, when you’re sitting across the table from a client and they’ve got strong feelings about Option A, and you know it’s wrong because you’ve been doing this for 10 years, it’s super hard to suggest that Option B is better for them. But surrendering right away never serves them. It’s never a good way to give them their money’s worth. Summon your courage. Hold your ground!

2. Just trust us. We’re experts. (“The Expert Stiff Arm”)

This is totally true and the client has every reason to trust you. Unfortunately, you can’t lead with this. If you do, it will come off as condescending. The client will feel like you’re not interested in understanding them. Even though you’re probably right, your client won’t be able to hear you.

3. If we ignore it, the problem will go away. (“Look the Other Way & Hope For the Best”)

Okay, everybody knows this doesn’t work, but we still do it. It feels better to pretend that we don’t know that the right path is different than the one our client wants. It’s just easier. You can avoid friction this way. Problem is, this is a great way to end up doing work you don’t believe in. And if you’re doing work you don’t believe in, you’re probably not doing very good work.

What to do

Here are three things we’ve found to be helpful in advocating for what a client needs when it’s different than what they want.

1. Dig in by asking questions.

Try to get to the heart of what they want. Articulate it. Define it well. Then you can go one step deeper and get to why they want it. Do this by asking questions. Chances are really high that there will be something buried underneath Option A (what they want) that will align with Option B (what they need). Added bonus: It feels really good to be heard and understood.

2. Guide them toward what they need.

If you’ve asked good questions, you’re probably already more than halfway there. Chances are good that through the question process your client has already begun to understand that what they want may not be the right thing. Give them some more insight into why Option B will be better for them in the long run. To do this well, you’ve got to be able to imagine yourself in their shoes. It’s all about empathy. Do your best to explain in a language that they’ll understand. Think of yourself as a guide. They have to take the steps themselves, but you can show them the best route.

3. Use data whenever you can.

You’re an expert in your field, and this is good. But sometimes, nothing speaks more powerfully than a bit of user feedback or market data. Data won’t be the end-all-be-all solution, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. In many cases, a small amount of research or thoughtfully presented data can be all that’s needed to give your client confidence that a different path is the right one.

To be sure, these are tricky waters to navigate. We know our way is not the only way, and we’d love to keep getting better at this. If you’ve got tips for how you help your clients move from wants to needs, we’d love to hear from you in the comments, on Twitter at @beinghumanis or reach out at humandesign.com.