It’s so easy to miss this point because clients often come to you requesting help with preparing, completing and submitting forms to regulators, funding sources and the government. Because you start there, you believe that’s the request—no more. It becomes your responsibility to make it more. 

Otherwise, you lead your clients to believe that all you can do is fill out forms. You’re seen as a vendor. You’re in the same category as any other transaction business (paper supplier?) where price is a primary factor. And the way they “negotiate” is to get a better price somewhere else—all because you didn’t anchor your work to their goals. If you aren’t careful, you’ll be minimized.

• If the only value your clients see is that you keep the regulators at bay, you’ve been minimized.
• If your attempts to call or meet with your clients are ignored, you’ve been minimized.
• If your clients call you AFTER they are in trouble, you’ve been minimized.

 If you want to be seen as more than a vendor, you will have to do things differently. You have to clearly understand your client’s goals and speak about your project in that context. Remember, it’s the goal, not the engagement, that’s more important.

The point is to know your client’s goals so you know what is important to them. Then, using their compliance information, find other ways of adding value with what you find, questions to raise and opportunities to explore. Believe me; you won’t be minimized again.