Minimum Viable Scope: Accommodate Clients’ Budget Without Compromising Your Fee or Integrity

This is what you’ve probably experienced as a coach, consultant or service professional, or freelancer: You met a client who was perfect.

You were confident you could create magic together, so you offered your package.

Although she wanted to be with you in all capacities, the “regular” package was not financially feasible.

Congratulations! It hurts that you are unable to work with this client.

What to do when you are stuck between a rock or a hard place?

Many potential clients who ask about working with me are truly unique people.

Their emails are filled with passion and conviction. I often want to reach out and hug them.

We simply talk on the phone and see how we can work together since I stopped the “free strategy session” smoke-and-mirror thing.

It takes us about 20 minutes to find the REAL challenge. I then show them my golden threads – i.e. How to talk about “what they do” and “how they do it.” This clarity alone is worth the 4-week coaching package.

They’re ready to roll 8 out of 10 times.

They had tiny budget trouble the other two times.

They want my magic, but they don’t have the financial means to do it.

They are my true friends, and I am genuinely interested in working with them.

To make everyone happy, enter the Minimum Viable Scope.

My work is appreciated by gold-star clients. Clients can’t get enough of the magic that will get them out of their ruts. All done with respect and integrity.

What is the secret to it?

It’s not about discounts. It’s about adapting the scope to fit a budget.

You’re not just reducing the number of deliverables to fit the client’s budget.

Even though the adjusted scope must deliver the result you desire, it should be smaller.

Many big wig coaches talk about creating packages, not “trading dollars for hours,” which I find acceptable. But the “all-or-nothing” approach they use to it can hinder your ability to do your best work and make the most impact.

We don’t need to say ‘… critical thought. This is not a guru box.

Here’s how Minimum Viable Scope works in my case:

1. Defining the minimum scope that you need to deliver your magic

You need to do certain things before you can lay the foundation for anything else. This piece, regardless of how large or small it may be, must remain intact in order to deliver your work with integrity.

To do this, you must first be clear about what you do and how you do it. Then you must be able to articulate why it is valuable to your clients.

Clarity is a critical component for me. I won’t even write one word of copy until I am confident my clients have clarity and have nailed the message that they are committed to. I want to feel the passion in their voices and hear their excitement.

My unique selling point? “Copywriting with clarity coaching baked into the process.” – I remove the (psychic-efficiently efficient) clarity bit, so you don’t need to hire me.

2. Explore to Clients What They Do Not Get with This Modified Scope

It is fair to say that clients might not receive all the benefits of working together with you without the complete package. You just need to be clear about your expectations.

Clients who work with me on a limited scope lose the “economy” of scale. I still need to spend the same amount of time to establish clarity foundations, but they’d have to apply it to a smaller number of deliverables. The copy will also be more cohesive if they complete a series of pages at once than if we do it individually.

3. As the expert, you must take responsibility

You are the expert, and it is your responsibility to organize the project for your clients.

To get the best out of this process, you may need to assist them in prioritizing and thinking creatively.

Don’t compromise your client’s budget if you can’t deliver the magic. Don’t be afraid to say no.

4. Keep it simple

It’s easy to continue if you’re having a good time. Be mindful of your budget and the scope.

You shouldn’t charge a flat fee if you don’t have to. This is a poor boundary, and it’s unfair to other clients.

Don’t add any deliverables to an hourly rate without first explaining the situation and obtaining approval from your client.

The Minimum Viable Scope may not be applicable to your business. No matter how you structure your service, it should focus on delivering the best work possible with integrity and not trying to sell more stuff in order to make more money.

It’s possible to try it out for yourself and see if you think it will be beneficial for your clients.

Creativity Mentor Copywriting Alchemy Author: Secrets to Turning Your Personal Brand Into Content That Sells.

Her unique combination of content experience design, marketing coaching and copywriting helps maverick-preneurs to uncover, articulate and transform their WHY. This is done using an intuitive but rigorous iterative process that she has learned from her Harvard Design School training as well as 15 years of experience in online marketing.