I promised Q&A last month, and I’ve chosen the two submissions below. Please send your questions to me as [email protected].

One tip before the questions: Find new names for things in order to stand out in a crowd. I call The Great Resignation an Existential Jail Break. It gets a lot more notice and reaction.

Now, onto the questions:

Value and Time

“One of the big challenges I find with value based pricing is what happens if a project doesn’t fit a specific timeframe. For example, if you charge daily and a project runs over or the scope expands, you’ll be compensated, but with value based pricing how would you reduce the risk of this happening? And how do you plan multiple projects at the same time, if the time needed on them could shift?”

—Mike Essex

Mike, you create with the buyer at the outset objectives, metrics, and value, as well as options, time frames, joint accountabilities. All of these should be in the proposal. Hence, the two of you have used your best judgement to frame the time needed for each option. If something causes the project to take longer, you simply spend more time (within reasonable limits) because your profit margin is so high, it doesn’t matter. You’re now equating an extra day with monetary loss which is a fallacy except if you’re actually billing by time units which I’ve established is crazy.

Thus, the risk is reduced by you and the buyer making evaluations and commitments, but even if it happens you’re still making a huge profit, so what difference does it make? As for multiple projects, you should never be working consecutively at any one client, never showing up daily. I’ve handled over 30 clients at a time through a combination of remote work, judicious on-site visits, and transferring a great deal of the work to the client.

Assimilating Learning

“What are the most effective ways to assimilate what you know/learn into what you do and how you do it?”

—Hamish Mackenzie

Hamish, I’ve found that the adult learning sequence is discussion, practice, feedback, application. (In medicine, substitute “observation” for “discussion” in many cases.) This is why you hear the advice, “Use a word three times and it’s yours.”

Specifically, I suggest you consider advice or teaching by figuring out how it can work for you (not why it won’t work); try it in low-threat environments; ask how you’ve done and assess the results; and then use it as often as possible (don’t wait for the “perfect moment,” make every moment perfect to us it).

That’s how you learn to ski, and how to successfully hold meetings with prospects.

Developmental Opportunities

Return to Australia 2022

I’ll be making my 19th trip in October, this time to Brisbane, to present a week of unique offerings from passive income and global “reach” to a new strategy approach. Join me and your peers for my latest value to grow your business and decrease your labor facing our “new realities.” Discounts for first registrants. I have limited seating capacity

Million Dollar Consulting^® for the World

I’ve provided 14 modules with videos from me, from your colleagues globally, slides, and text. They include everything from launch to self-esteem, proposals to fees, closing business to creating a brand. No upsells! It's only $115. What do you think about a 10,000:1 ROI? We have over 500 people from 43 countries.

The Role Play Workshop

Join me in Dallas on April 29 in an intimate setting for a day of role play where we exchange roles and practice from “both sides.” We’ll deal with sales meetings, referral requests, networking discussions, expansion business, advisory offers, overdue payments, rejecting scope creep, and whatever else is on your mind. We’ll also be adjusting language to reflect today’s new realities in terms of technology, remote meetings, social mores, economics, strategy, and much more. For example, do you realize there’s a vast difference between “budget” (always strained) and “money” (always available)?

Beyond Thought Leadership

Six “stars” from my community from five countries will be interviewed by me in this live, 2.5 day experience. I’ll be introducing new IP, case studies, and role-plays. And the final interview will be with me. This is one-time only, it was difficult to organize. Limited participation, in Miami in November, register now, no one else can offer this experience for your growth.

Ferocious Time Management

I’m tired of wasting my time hearing people tell me they have no time!!In a rare appearance in San Diego, I’m going to help you ruthlessly organize yourself so that you have time to close business, deliver a remote speech, create a book outline, and learn to tame wild beasts before lunch. Seriously, time is “elastic,” and you can stretch it to accommodate what you need to accomplish. Moreover, most people work too hard to achieve too little. Discretionary time is wealth, not money, but we’re prone to work so hard chasing money that we erode our wealth. Create greater output in a 20-hour week!

By Invitation Only

This year I’m accepting six people for a 2.5-day meeting, June 14-16 in the Caribbean, and 12 people for a 2.5-day meeting September 6-8 at a resort of the group’s choosing. I have two seats open in June and eight in September. We stay at great resorts, work for a half-day on personal and business issues with peers, and socialize with great meals and wonderful surroundings. Spouses and partners are welcome but not mandatory! Write me to apply and/or visit my website.