A must-read case management game changer: how to create client value!

Learning how to create client value will absolutely revolutionize your work experience.

Here is why:

When organizations talk about what they do, it's usually in terms of the services they provide rather than the value they create.

There's this assumption that because organizations offer a product or service (generally filling a need - like food, shelter, health, and well-being), it's synonymous with value.

However, value is more than just WHAT we do but HOW we do it.

It's not just about the products and services we provide, but how we provide them, in the form of what our clients and customers want and value, and how we make them feel through the experiences we create.

To create client value, we must first identify what is important to our clients (personal value). Next, align these personal values with the products and services we provide (product value) while leveraging them with the experiences we create (experiential value).

Personal Value + Product Value + Experiential Value = Client Value

(Wants) + (Needs) + (Experience)

Now, every organization may argue they provide value, and perhaps there's some truth in that. But unfortunately, not all organizations or services are equal.

If I were to ask you which fast-food company creates more value than any other company, you would probably say Chick-fil-A.

If I were to ask which tech company has one of the highest "cult" followers, with customers prepared to camp the night outside their stores all because of FOMO on the latest tech gadgets and products... you'd probably say Apple.

If I were to ask you which company provides a third space, as an alternative to your home or workplace, where you can work, study, read, meet, or simply hang out with a plethora of coffee options? You would probably say Starbucks.

If I were to ask you which company gives you the convenience to shop anytime in the comfort of your own home with a push of a button and conveniently delivered to your door the very next day, you would probably say Amazon.

What makes these companies valuable? What do these companies have in common when it comes to creating client value? And, what can we learn as a Human Services sector when it comes to building client value?

Well, first...!

They understand that to create value we must first identify what is important to our clients and customers!

According to Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the key to Amazon's overall success has always been listening to what is important to their customers.

"Companies that don't listen to customers fail." (Jeff Bezos).

However, the reality is companies overlook or pay little attention to what their customers want or value. Companies like to tell their clients what to do rather than ask them what they "want" to do.

Companies treat clients like pieces on a checkers board, assuming they are all the same, seeking after the exact needs while moving them in the same direction to accomplish a universal outcome.

Yeah! Sure, people need housing, employment, and mental health services. We don't doubt that!!!

But! To create value, we need to realize that our clients and customers are more like chess pieces - who all have individualized gifts, goals, passions, and values that are uniquely important to them.

We must understand how unique and valuable each individual is according to who they are and what they value. If we don't, not only do we fail to understand, connect and work with them, but we end up assuming things for and about them.

So, how do we go about identifying what is important to our clients and customers?

Well, first, we need to shift our mindset.

We need to stop assuming that we are simply in the business of meeting basic needs, but we are also about helping people uncover and discover their why- what they value and what is important to them.

Now, I'm not suggesting we become motivational speakers.

Definitely NOT!

BUT!!! When we start by asking what is important to people, followed by 'why,' we shift the conversation from this idea that it's just about needs, goals, and deficits to understanding the underlying forces that drive them.

By doing this, we create rapport, buy-in and engagement.

So, what are the actual benefits of understanding what is important to people?

First! It prevents assumptions from being made while simultaneously getting to the core of what drives people and why they do what they do. This avoids miscommunication and misunderstandings that lead to distrust and disengagement.

Second, it helps shift conversations from only being about goals, needs, and deficits to opportunities where clients can express their hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

Yes! Needs and goals create focus, attention, and a timeframe.

Yes! They are actionable and hold people accountable.

And yes! Without goals and needs, we lack direction.

But, when we, as service providers, talk about goals, needs, and deficits, we usually refer to the services we provide rather than what our clients really want and/ or desire for their own lives.

In other words, we operate using a systems-centered approach rather than a client-centered approach. We apply a one-size-fits-all. We end up labeling and categorizing people, and we limit innovation, choice, and individualization.

The third and final reason is that when the why is powerful, the how becomes undeniably clear.

Once clients identify what is important to them, they will begin to see the value in the steps or services needed to succeed. Because, instead of seeing services as an end within themselves, clients will see services as a necessary means in helping them get to where they want to be rather than being told where they need to be.

Therefore, rather than trying to convince clients to engage with our services based on what we believe or think is important for them, we allow their values to become the carrot that will help direct and empower them to engage.

Once they are engaged, we modify and customize our services to meet their needs while helping them succeed.

In conclusion, the products and services we provide are not valuable simply because they meet a basic need, but that they:

1. Align with what our clients and customers value.

2. Help our clients get to where they want to be.

3. Are customized and individualized in helping them succeed.