Talking a client out of the project she came to hire me for

The situation

People love telling small brick-and-mortar retailers that they must start selling online, usually without any idea what that undertaking involves or how it will affect the business. It is simply expected of you now, by the average, ill-informed customer.

My client was newly the owner of a legacy storefront in Old Orcutt, feeling that pressure, and she asked me for a proposal for a new website and online store.

What I did instead

As I got to know the shop's needs and explored the ways she could go online, I decided she needed a consultation before a proposal — a clear picture of the scope before she committed money to it.

So I built a document that is more educational than commercial. It walks a brick-and-mortar retailer through online selling, inventory tracking, shipping processes, and email and social selling integrations. A graphic of the hybrid in-store and online retail infrastructure turned out to be especially useful for helping her see all the moving parts at once.

Why

The truth is that a lot of work goes into moving from in-store to online sales. To do it right, your in-store and e-commerce transactions have to stay in sync or you will wreck your inventory and sales reporting. You have to pack and ship daily. You have to keep the store updated constantly and actively sell through social media to make the effort pay for itself. It is a great deal of work at the start, unless you are flush enough to outsource all of it.

I am always up for a big project with a lot of moving parts. But I did not want to take her money for something that might be the wrong move at the wrong time for her business. I wanted her making a confidently informed choice — which, in the end, is the more valuable thing a consultant can sell.