Your clients aren’t hiring you - They’re hiring who they want to become

Why do your clients choose to work with you?

It’s not your fancy tools, your polished processes, or even the measurable results you deliver that win clients over. Yes, those are important, but they’re not the reason your clients choose you.

They choose you because of the way you make them feel about themselves.

Think about this: When a client signs on, they’re not just buying your expertise - they’re investing in the person they hope to become through working with you (even if that’s not how they think about it at the time).

The Transformation They Don’t Even Know They Want

Your clients likely don’t wake up thinking, “I need a consultant or coach to help me become the leader I’ve always wanted to be.”

Instead, they’re usually focused on solving immediate challenges:

“How do I fix this broken process?”

or

“How do I scale without overwhelming my team?”

These are the problems that drive them to look for help.

But the real reason they choose you (and continue working with you) goes much deeper. It’s about how you make them feel.

When you’re there to hold their hand or be a sounding board they feel:

• More confident in their decisions.
• Supported when things feel overwhelming.
• Capable of leading their business to the next level.

Your job isn’t just to solve problems or deliver results. Your real job is to help them become the version of themselves they aspire to be - even if they can’t put that aspiration into words.

That’s what they’re paying for.

The feeling. The transformation. The better version of themselves you create.

It’s About the Partnership, Not Just the Solutions

You want to aim to build relationships where the client feels elevated. This is the difference between a service provider and a trusted partner.

Think of it like Mario in a video game (shoutout to that amazing graphic from UserOnboard).

When your client starts out, they’re small Mario - doing their best but feeling a little underpowered. Your job isn’t just to be the power-up that gets them past one tough level. Your job is to make them feel like Super Mario - faster, stronger, and ready to tackle the big challenges.

That’s the kind of transformation that creates lasting impact.

How You Can Start Transforming Your Clients

1. See Your Clients as Heroes.

   In their own story, your clients are the heroes - not you. Your role is to be their guide, equipping them with what they need to succeed. Think Yoda, not Luke Skywalker.

2. Ask the Right Questions.

   Instead of jumping into problem-solving mode, start with curiosity. What are their goals? What’s do they think is standing in their way? What would make them feel unstoppable? The answers will shape how you help them.

3. Create Wins Early and Often.

   Small quick wins will build confidence and momentum. Look for quick ways to deliver meaningful value and reinforce their belief in themselves (and in you).

4. Celebrate Their Growth.

   Reflect back to your clients how far they’ve come. Sometimes, they’re so caught up in the doing they don’t even notice their own progress. Your acknowledgment will be incredibly empowering.

Why This Matters (For You, Too)

When you focus on helping your clients transform - not just their agencies but also their confidence, clarity, and leadership - they stop seeing you as a service provider. You become a trusted partner, someone essential to their growth.

This builds trust, loyalty and advocacy (all the business buzz-words!).

Your clients will recommend you not just because of what you’ve done for their business but because of what you’ve done for them personally.

The best bit (for me): When you help others grow, you grow too. This work pushes you to be more empathetic, more strategic, and more connected to the impact you want to make.