What to Provide

Here's an old video I used to introduce myself to a cohort of folks I traveled out to Mountain View to see a few years back.  Shoutout Stillmotion EVO 5.0! 

I am very needs-aware, and when someone asks me to help with something, I have a tendency to say yes first and ask questions later. But, how does that translate from my personal personality into business and product/services offerings? 

For instance, avad3 does Event Production. That could encompass just doing A/V for events, or it could mean we also do Lights. We in fact do, and that's where I choose to draw the line, but, why not include bounce house rentals, tables and chairs, silverware, everything? 

That is the question: What to Provide? 

I like to view things in terms of value. For instance, a McDouble at McDonalds is valued at approximately $1. A filet at Outback is more like $15. Neither is outrageous in terms of pricing, because they each provide the appropriate level of value for their price tag. If you swap the price tags like Bob Barker on THE PRICE IS RIGHT, then you have a value mismatch. $15 for a McDouble is absurd, and upon hearing that price point, everyone who heard it would steer clear. $1 for an Outback filet is also absurd, and upon hearing THAT price point, everyone who heard it would go screaming in the streets spreading the word that Outback has lost their minds, they're serving filets for $1, and you should all hurry quick before they realize the glitch. 

In looking at what to provide, ask yourself, where do I provide value? Perhaps my Audio, Video and Lighting is viewed as serving up a Filet for only $5. A true value. Great quality, at a below-average price. It is VALUABLE because of that word "quality." We provide quality work. However, if I don't know the first thing about inflatables, how to store them, how to set them up safely, and we rent you an inflatable bounce house for any price, but set it up unsafely with weathered spots from being exposed to yesterday's rain, we're not providing a value. Meanwhile another local provider my know everything there is to know about inflatables, but be a poor AV provider. 

Where we all get into trouble is when greed comes into play and the Inflatables providers begins offering something he knows nothing about, or visa versa with us providing something we know nothing about. That greed for the revenue dollars leads many to offer products and services they have no business providing, plummeting the customer experience. 

What to provide? Provide what you know. Offer what's valuable through the customer, through your expertise and knowledge, and provide it at a valuable price.