September 26, 2016

The Helicopter Option

Regrettably, it’s not uncommon for me to be faced with a particular problem:

“How should I get home from Boston?”

When I travel, I almost always fly out of my local airport in Providence but - air travel being what it is - every once in a while I end up returning to the Boston airport which is about 50 miles north of where I live.

When this happens, I need to figure out how to get home. The range of possible options that come to mind are the following:

Walk (Free)
Taxi ($250)
Limo ($250)
Bus ($25)
Commuter Rail ($11.50)
Express Train ($65)
Helicopter ($2500)

So why don’t I just walk home? It’s the cheapest option, right?

Because it would suck, that’s why.

Each of these options provide a completely different experience, with different pros and cons, and prices that range from $0 to $2500.

For example:

Some are luxurious, some are utilitarian.
Some are shared with other passengers, some are not.
Some seem safe, others not so much.
Some are available around the clock, some are not.
Some are available on demand, some are not.
Some need to be scheduled far in advance, some do not.
Some take hours, some take minutes.
Some have a predictable duration, some do not.
Some are offer door-to-door service, some do not.

My final choice in any given situation will depend on:

The weather (raining, snowing, sunny)
The time of day
How much of a rush I’m in
If I need to make a stop on the way
My general mood
etc…

What I’m getting at here is this:

Price is just one of many factors a buyer considers when making a buying decision.

All else being equal, a buyer will choose the option with the lowest price - but all else is never equal.

Software development is a high-touch, service oriented profession. We’re not exactly selling sneakers to the mass market.

There are dozens of factors that can come into play in a given professional relationship: experience, speed, quality, attitude, personality, communication style, world-view, and believe it or not, sometimes even race, religion, and politics.

Expose your clients to what makes you unique. This could be expertise in a particular skill, or it could be a background with a particular audience, or it could be your mission in life.

Whatever it is, let them know about it and you’ll start to attract ideal buyers who aren’t making a buying decision solely on price.

Yours,

—J

P.S. Have I mentioned that hourly billing is nuts lately? ;-)