Make it simple! All of us have heard the phrase. But sadly we often do not follow this precious advice. We’ve all heard the joke that a consultant is someone who will tell you about how to design, build and sell a watch, when all you wanted to know was the time. We are stereotyped often as people who like to make things more complicated, if for no other reason, than to justify our fee.
We can serve both ourselves and our clients better if we remember to keep our proposals, project plans, reports and other services more elegant or simple. Here are some advantages in making everything simple for our business;
Reduces errors. The more complex something becomes, the easier it is to make mistakes. Which is of the following is more likely to succeed? A nine-page booklet of steps to follow in using the new software, or a detail work description, which gives 80% of the users all the detail they are probably will never use? If we design simple, elegant solutions, the error rate drops.
Motivating. Simple plans give people confidence that they can succeed. When people understand the four key points in your presentation, they are more motivated to apply them, because they feel like they have a fighting chance of success.
Effective. People are bright, but people have many things on their mind. When presenting findings, data, or proposal to the clients, our executives, or our employees, we often have a 100 page report and a one page executive summary. The one page is probably too high an overview to lead to effective decisions and how many people will actually read your 100 page report? (When was the last time you read a 100 page report?). What people need from us is not only the ability to analyze, or come up with the hundreds of data, but also the ability to synthesize, or draw together the key elements in new and cover everything. A simpler report can lead us to that. The simpler, five-pager, will force you to synthesize and provide the client with something much more valuable than the briefcase breaker.
Saves time. This one is easy. It is common sense. When we make things simpler, we save time for the clients, other people and ourselves in the long run.
Brings focus. Having one clear goal is easier for people to follow, than understanding about the Ten Methods for Strategic Initiatives of the First Half of the Year. One is motivating, the other a hopeless clutter for the mind. If we want to stay focused, we have to keep it simple.
Easier to sell. Being simple in our approach does not mean “quick and dirty”, or incomplete. Remember that simple and elegant can be synonyms. Would you rather buy an elegant, simple approach or something very detailed and elaborate?