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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.