If an old friend came to visit your city for the first time and asked you to show them around, where would you take them?

Here in Seattle, I’d probably take them to the typical spots:

• Space Needle
• Pike Place Market
• First Starbucks store
• Waterfront

Cool tour, I suppose, for a first-timer to see the sights they’ve seen in movies.

But my insights about each place would be pretty surface-level.

A pleasant afternoon, sure, but perhaps a bit boring.

(I’ve done this a few times over the years…)

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Now, if a friend was looking to move to my neighborhood and asked me to show them around, I’d:

• Take them on my typical walking route
• Point out the grocery stores & my favorite coffee shops
• Share what I’ve heard about living in the buildings we pass
• Warn them which parts to stay away from and when
• Show them the public transit options to their office and the airport

And while the features of the neighborhood tour seem more mundane...

...they’re highly relevant for my friend, making the experience super insightful for them, and gratifying for me as well.

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Consulting is like guiding a walking tour, where the 'neighborhood' is the specific problem you’re uniquely qualified to solve.

Your clients can do the generic city sightseeing on their own.

You can even point them in the right direction downtown.

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Then when they come to you for deep expertise on your specific ‘neighborhood’ -- your problem space…

…you’ll be eager to show them around, and they'll be intensely grateful you did.

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What would be the 'locals only' spots on a walking tour of your problem space?

And what unique insights do you have to offer about them?

Best part? You likely already give this tour every day.

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💡

-Wes