Are you a technician or expert?

This weekend I decided to get some new clothing. 

I live in the country and if I'm not shopping online, I really don't shop as the options are minimal. 

So I thought to try out "Stitch Fix"; a service that sends you outfits and you keep only what you like. 

Anyways, in Stitch Fix, I was prompted to create a "style profile" and there is a section for career. 

I was struck by one of the choices:

"Health Practitioner / Technician”

I thought it was just something my clients and I talked about, but there you have it. 

Even Stitch Fix sees health pros as "technicians."

Listen,"technician" is not how you want to position your coaching business or private practice. 

Nearly all of my clients, at first, are in the "technician" category before I help them reposition them into a qualified expert with a speciality coaching business. 

Now by a speciality business, I don't mean redesigning my clients’ businesses to only work with an exclusive clientele, offer high-end pricing or lead with perfect hair and make up marketing. 

You certainly don't need to be the most "expensive" option to move out of "technician" positioning. 

However, if you want to go beyond technician-level messaging, pricing and service offerings, here are a few important distinctions to consider:

A technician offers hourly sessions.  An expert offers an experience that will solve a specific problem. 

A technician charges by the hour. An expert charges for a complete start-to-finish solution and is paid-in-full, or by convenient payment plan.

A technician's income is limited by the hours in her day and the whims of her client base. An expert's income is based on a mutually agreed upon, client engagement and is not impacted by whims and "life stuff" like cancellations, rescheduling or disappearing acts. 

A technician emphasizes her certifications and trainings as the main selling point. The expert emphasizes the relationship with her clients and the problem her ideal clients are determined to solve, and then backs it up with her expertise. 

A technician takes all kinds of clients. An expert makes bold choices in who she works best with, so that she can feel confident about delivering a high quality experience.

A technician talks about her process. An expert talks about the before and after picture of her client's transformation. 

A technician works for her clients, an organization, etc. An expert controls the terms of her work, be it in-house (as a consultant), or for an individual (as a coach/counselor/advisor/specialist).

A technician is often a generalist. An expert specializes gives up the trying to be all things to all people. 

A technician reacts to what comes her way. An expert choses her response to the marketplace and dares to lead her practice and her clients. 

We have ALL been trained to be a good technician.

To "hold the space" and see what the client wants and needs. 

But that doesn't work in the real world, unless you're working for someone else. 

Your clients, the economy and your sanity in business is calling for your leadership.

Not perfect leadership, but "perfecting as you go" leadership. 

Aiming for perfect keeps you in your head. 

As Tony Robbins once said: Stay in your head, you're dead. 

Perfecting as you go has you taking action, trying things, seeing what works, what doesn't and adjusting as needed. 

Here's to leading your practice into the future you wish to create, 

Karin

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