Jump - "How high"?

I always listened the following quote aimed to denigrate service-oriented businesses (finance, law, consulting): When the client says jump, you ask "how high?". But, at the end, isn't the client the one which asks us "how high?" considering that he comes to request our services on certain issues which he needs to solve and on which we're the experts? More often than not, I think we are the ones telling the clients how high they need to jump than they do it to us.

Also, to stretch a little the reflection, those who want to move into the other side of the table (entrepreneurs) because they don't want to deal with demanding clients don't you think that it's better to deal with sophisticated clients which are business owners or HNWI instead of being a business owner and deal with the average client named Joe?

What's your view?

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I always listened the following quote aimed to denigrate service-oriented businesses (finance, law, consulting): When the client says jump, you ask "how high?"

I haven't heard this variation of the expression before, but typically it is a leader saying "Jump" to the follower who says "how high." 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

my variation follows more or so the idea that you aren't in a position to put demands to the client because you need revenue and the client could easily go to a competitor

 

Eh, the answer is always “it depends.” I would say that in most situations it is better to be the client. While the service provider may be more knowledgeable, the client is the one who ultimately makes the decisions and sets the tone. They are the ones paying for the service and therefore they get to choose which service provider to engage. Given the competitive nature of nearly every service offering on the planet, service providers are frequently trying to find ways to differentiate. Unfortunately in professions such as law, audit, consulting etc. … everyone attempts to differentiate by giving the client absolutely anything they ask for. The end result is no differentiation because every investment bank or consulting firm is willing to offer this same thing by working its juniors 24/7.

Sure, the client may have customers of their own, but the ‘average client named Joe’ is actually a lot less demanding than the sophisticated or HNW individuals.

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