July 13th 2008

July 13, 2008

Over the weekend Mark and I decided to "finally" reupholster some dining chairs that have been through three moves, and Chance’s baby and toddler years. We headed over to Hancock Fabrics to select a new fabric that would replace the dull, worn out ivory.

Mark has great taste and pulled a fabric that would work well with these rich, chestnut colored pine and wrought iron chairs. As I looked at the massive bolt of upholstery fabric, I wondered out loud how much we needed to buy. A small woman behind an enormous cutting table answered my question… Looking over her cat-eye style glasses, she said, "You need a yard and a half for four chairs."

Mark also answered my question. Why don’t we get four yards. Again, but in a louder voice this time, "You need a yard and a half for four chairs." As I looked up at Mark who was saying, "Okay, let’s get two yards." I could hear scissors on the table. I asked the woman, "Are you cutting a yard and a half or two yards?"

She replied, "You need a yard and a half for four chairs" as she smiled and put the price sheet on top of the folded mass of fabric. I turned to Mark, and jokingly said, "I guess we are getting a yard and a half!"

As we covered each chair and cut excess fabric to fit, I was SO thankful we had just more than we needed. Two yards would have been harder to manage and four yards would have been a mess. It made me think about how often clients think they know what they need, but really don’t. Are you giving clients what they need or what they want?

Hugs-

Tina

P.S. In virtually every encounter you have with a client there is a chance to choose between what the client says s/he wants and what you, as the expert, believes s/he needs. Where are you giving people what they want when you could give them what they need? What keeps you from delivering what you believe they need? What area of your business has areas where you want one thing but need another?