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Homework Kills Deals.
How Service Providers Can Remove Client Friction
A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to up my game in finding new speaking opportunities. As someone who spends a fair amount of time on stage helping businesses sharpen their messaging and improve their brands, I figured bringing in a freelance researcher to identify potential conferences and gigs would be a smart move. After all, if I spend my time doing what I do best—speaking and strategizing—while someone else does what they do best—researching and finding leads—it’s a win-win, right?
Finding the Right Researcher
I reached out to a well-recommended researcher who seemed like the perfect fit. We had an initial chat, and he told me he could absolutely help me identify the right opportunities.
“Great,” I said. “Let’s do it.”
The Creative Brief Dilemma
But before we could get started, he asked me to provide him with a creative brief.
“No problem,” I thought. After all, I know a thing or two about briefs. I spent decades in advertising, crafting strategies for some of the biggest brands in the world. So, I rolled up my sleeves and wrote what I thought was a pretty thorough brief. I outlined the types of events I’m best suited for, detailed the industries I’ve worked with, and even threw in a few specific examples of conferences I’d like to target. It was a masterwork if I do say so myself—clear, concise, and actionable.
When I sent it over, the researcher replied almost immediately. “This is fantastic,” he said. “Exactly what I needed.”
“Perfect,” I thought. “Send me a quote and let’s get started.”
When Questions Pile Up
But then came the follow-up email. And then another. And another. Each one filled with clarifying questions:
- Can you tell me more about your ideal audience?
- What size of conferences are you looking for?
- Do you want me to prioritize virtual or in-person events?
- Do you have a preference for certain regions or countries?
The Breaking Point: Homework Kills Deals
Now, don’t get me wrong. These were reasonable questions. But here’s the thing—I was already busy doing the work I hired him to help me with. And every time I saw another email from him, my enthusiasm waned just a little bit more. By the time I got to his third or fourth email, my brain started filing the entire project under “Things I’ll Get Around to Someday.”
Spoiler alert: Someday never came. Homework kills deals.
Lessons for Service Providers
The truth is, I had every intention of working with him. I wanted to pay him to solve my problem. But instead, he made the process so labor-intensive for me that I never got around to finishing my end of the deal. I didn’t drop the ball because I wasn’t interested—I dropped it because he put too many hoops between me and the solution. Homework kills deals.
Why Convenience is King
This experience reminded me of a critical lesson for anyone who provides a service: When potential clients come to you, they’re looking for solutions, not problems and not homework. The moment you hand them an assignment, you create friction. And that friction can kill a deal.
Remove Barriers, Build Relationships
Think about it: We live in a world where convenience is king. That’s why Uber replaced hailing cabs, Amazon replaced driving to the store, and Netflix replaced wandering the aisles of Blockbuster. The easier you make it for someone to work with you, the more likely they are to do it.
When someone shows up at your doorstep ready to hand you their business, your job is to make the process as smooth and effortless as possible. Yes, you might need some input from them to do your best work. But there’s a way to gather that information without turning the process into a chore.
The Takeaway: Homework Kills Deals
In the end, the researcher lost a client who was ready to buy, and I’m still looking for the right person to help me identify opportunities. But more importantly, the experience reinforced an important point I’ll carry into my own business: Homework kills deals. If you want to build your brand, build your reputation, and build your client base, don’t make your customers jump through hoops. Remove the barriers, smooth out the friction, and make it easy for them to say, “Yes.”
Because when someone wants to give you their business, the last thing they want is homework.
WOW, Bruce! Your email about “making things easy” hit me right in the gut! I had a waaaay too similar experience in trying to get help with my social media.
Sadly, it was YEARS ago and I was so put off by all the work she wanted ME to do. I dropped the project altogether.
I know full well the implications and still, here I sit “frozen!” Well, hopefully, I will start to get more “pissed” and be finally driven to get back and act! Anyway, the point you made really highlights the long effect of personal lethargy that can result from the stress of being overloaded!
Thanks… I “think!” You really do bring forth inspiring perspectives around topics that I, and many may share.
Thank YOU!
Energetically,
Diane
One of my first jobs – it was a summer job during my college years – was selling pots and pans door to door. There was a three day training session before they sent us out there and one of the topics they covered were the “tells” that indicated the customer was ready to buy. I’ll never forget the advice the leader gave about the essential thing to do when you spotted one of those tells: try as hard as you can NOT to talk them out of it. Your post reminded me of that. In spite of my training, I’ve been guilty of it from time to time, and I’ve certainly witnessed it in others. Learn to accept the YES!!!
The most important words in sales, Seth: “Shut the %$@#$ up!”
Spot on, Bruce! The higher the price of the service, the more true this insight becomes. The best clients–the ones who trust us to design and/or execute solutions–want to pay and then get out of the way as much as possible. I’ve been on both ends of this situation with multiple vendors losing my business when I was already sold on them because they wanted ME to do too much work.
Agreed, Crystal. I’ve been on both sides of the equation as well. But that’s another blog post, isn’t it?
That it is. LOL!
Great essay, Bruce!
Thank you Charlie.
Thank you for this inspiration!!! This is so apropos for something I am working through right now that I sent it to my team and said, this is exactly what I am talking about. If I do all the work then I might as well do it myself and I don’t need you. Always appreciate your thoughts.
“When the student is ready, the teacher appears,” David.
Great article, Bruce! Such a good point, and one that I’m probably guilty of many times. Sometimes, I think it might have to do with a fear of possible ‘scope creep’ in a potential project.
“scope creep” is a fascinating subject for a future post, Matt. Thank you. After all, if appropriately managed, scope creep can introduce new potential sources of revenue.
Bruce, you nailed it. I’ve witnessed both sides of this many times. Such an important concept. This is even more true in a world where many can bypass consultants by utilizing AI directly. When someone uses Consultants, it’s to receive white-glove service.
You’re right, Albert. AI changes this game, especially when the technology can provide a major portion of what any mediocre consultant offers and sometimes be just as good or better. Time for the rest of us to up our game, huh?
Too true. Furthermore, it would be a snap to use any decent AI tool and ask it to determine target audiences, regions, et al for Bruce Turkel. The fact that the researcher wasn’t already using toolsets like that to make their own work better would be an enormous red flag for me in 2025.
Spot on, Jay. Funny thing is I had already done that too. Great minds and all that…