After the actual relationship begins, though, you’ll find that they love you, kind of hate you, and then love you again. The first immediate reaction is love. Your work has been insightful, courageous, and full of actual problem solving.

One thing you can do to help them build momentum is to suggest some smaller steps to facilitate a few early wins. That will give them a taste of victory and the encouragement to keep plowing ahead.

Choose your words carefully when you address this. “Developing” is better than “below average.” “Typical” is better than “average.” “Advanced” is better than “way ahead.”

Everything you say needs to be true, but you don’t need to blurt out everything that happens to be true. You can save some of those nuggets for later. You have no obligation to tell them everything. Most clients aren’t ready for everything, so don’t overwhelm them. This can also be a strategy for a later engagement that’s more “advanced” in nature.

“If you could wave a magic wand and fix two or three things that would help you sleep better at night, what would that look like? I know that there are many little things, but what are the big things?” Then ignore most of the little things and focus on the big ones. And in your report, recite those big things and concentrate on solving them.

They love you at the outset because you’ve captured their situation perfectly and helped them see some light at the end of the tunnel. They’ll then hate you because they feel abandoned and lost (since you are not a coach) as they scramble around wondering what to do next. You’ll help a little with this, but never as much as they want. During this

The deliverable is a concise, specific set of suggestions about how to improve their situation. If someone wants more than that, they need to hire someone else besides an expert.

What are the typical deliverables in a working relationship? I am an established thought leader in this field, and my energy is expended in ways that maintain that position. Stated otherwise, my main deliverable is insightful analysis and transformative advice. The focus is not on long reports or even reports at all, and in fact my recommendations

Explain to the client that it is their responsibility to capture the notes. Not only will they remember key parts of the discussion better if they capture them on their own, but it transfers the work to them