Does any of these sound familiar?

“We keep saying we’re different, but when clients compare us to competitors, we sound exactly the same.”

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“I Just Walked Out of a Client Meeting, and I Have No Idea What They Actually Want.”

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“I feel like I’m competing on price instead of value.”

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If this thought has ever crossed your mind, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve spent hours perfecting a proposal, only to realize the client wasn’t even clear on what they needed in the first place.

Maybe you feel like you’re just executing orders instead of shaping decisions. Maybe you struggle to charge what you’re worth because clients only see you as “the designer,” “the developer,” or “the strategist,” but never the expert.

This is where Buyer Experience Design comes in. The way clients experience working with you dictates whether they see you as a strategic partner or just a service provider. And the key to transforming that experience? Positioning, strategic conversations, and value-based pricing and much more.

Why Most Service Providers Get Stuck as Order-Takers

Many freelancers, agencies, and consultants unknowingly position themselves as order-takers, meaning clients see them as an execution arm rather than a trusted expert. This happens because of three common mistakes:

1. You’re Being Brought in Too Late

• By the time clients reach out, they’ve already made all the key decisions and need someone to execute them.
• Example: A client comes to you and says, “We need a new website. Can you build it?” But they’ve already defined what they want. So, you’re just a vendor at this point.

2. You’re Talking About Yourself Instead of the Client’s Goals

• If your proposals and conversations start with, “We’ve won these awards, we use this framework, here’s our process…” you’re losing them.
• Clients don’t care about your agency’s office, your tools, or your years of experience—they care about how you help them solve their problems.

3. You’re Pricing Based on Deliverables, Not Outcomes

• If you charge based on hours or project scope, you’re forcing yourself into a race to the bottom on pricing.
• Experts charge for impact, results, and business value and not just hours worked.

If any of these sound familiar, don’t worry. There’s a way out of the order-taker trap.

How to Transition from Vendor to Trusted Advisor

Step 1: Reposition Yourself as the Expert (without ever saying it)

Shift from “Doing Work” to “Solving Problems”
Instead of jumping straight to execution, lead with insight. Trusted advisors don’t wait for clients to tell them what they need — they help clients discover what they actually need.

Own a Concept, Not Just a Service
The most successful brands don’t just sell services—they own a mental space in the market.

• IDEO doesn’t sell consulting; they own design thinking.
• Dove doesn’t sell soap; they sell self-esteem and body confidence.
• Bumble isn’t a dating app; it’s a platform where women make the first move.

What is the one thing you want to be known for? Own that concept.

Raise Your Standards for Clients
Instead of letting clients pick you, start choosing your clients.

• Trusted advisors qualify clients to see if they’re a good fit.
• Vendors take whatever they can get.

Better clients. Better projects. Higher fees.

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Step 2: Lead Client Conversations Differently

Ask Better Questions
If a client comes to you and says, “We need a new website,” instead of immediately agreeing, ask:

• “What’s the real goal behind this?”
• “What would success look like?”
• “How will this impact your business?”

Your job is to dig deeper and uncover the real business challenge because clients often don’t know what they actually need.

Stop Talking About Your Process
Most vendors walk into meetings and talk about themselves: their awards, their methods, their technology.

Instead, flip it:
Spend 95% of the conversation talking about the client’s challenges and vision. Only 5% talking about yourself.

Step 3: Price Based on Outcomes, Not Hours

Stop Charging for Time, Start Charging for Value
Imagine a lawyer telling you, “I charge $500 per hour.” You’d think, “That’s expensive.”

Now imagine they say, “I charge $10,000, but I’ll win your case and protect you from losing $1M.” Suddenly, it’s a bargain.

This is how trusted advisors price their work: based on outcomes and impact, not effort.

Frame Your Proposals Around Results
Instead of sending a 100-page proposal listing deliverables, create a simple 1-3 page proposal that focuses on:

1. What problem you’re solving
2. The business impact
3. The investment (not just “cost”)

Experts don’t pitch. They collaborate on defining the solution.

The Cost of NOT Making This Shift

If you don’t change the way you position yourself, you’ll stay stuck in the order-taker cycle:

👎 Endless proposals that never convert
👎 Low-paying clients who don’t respect your expertise
👎 Always competing on price instead of value
👎 Getting micromanaged and treated like a replaceable vendor

Meanwhile, your competitors who position themselves as experts (without saying it) are charging 3-5X more and getting better clients.

Which side do you want to be on?

Finally

If you’re tired of:
❌ Writing massive proposals with no direction
❌ Being seen as just an execution arm
❌ Competing on price instead of expertise
❌ Struggling to differentiate

Then, it’s time to change how you position yourself.

✅ Lead conversations, don’t just respond
✅ Focus on outcomes, not deliverables
✅ Price based on value, not time
✅ Define the right problem to be solved

The way clients experience working with you shapes everything. If you control the buyer experience, you control your positioning, pricing, and business success.

The sales process demonstrates what it will be like working with you.

Make every touchpoint count.