Your expertise is invisible

"Sir, can I wash your car for three guilders?" My voice trembled slightly when I first rang the doorbell at the age of twelve.

The neighbor raised his eyebrows. He looked from me to my bucket, to his dusty Opel Kadett, and back to me.

"And will I actually get it clean?" he asked with a mischievous smile.

I nodded resolutely. "The rims too, sir."

That Sunday afternoon in 1978, I washed my first car. Five more followed on the same street. Before sunset, I'd earned more than an entire month's allowance. But more importantly, I'd discovered something about myself.

I enjoyed not only the money but the entire sales process.

• Identifying a Problem (Dirty Cars)

• Providing a solution (my services)

• Communicating value (a clean car for a modest price)

• Building trust by consistently delivering good results

And so, for 12 years, I became our neighborhood's regular "car washer." The best part of this story is that I often use this metaphor in my conversations with engineers and consultants.

You often have great expertise – your 'bucket and sponge' – but you find it difficult to make the step from specialist to trusted advisor.

The irony? The process is the same as with that twelve-year-old boy.

From recognizing your customer's problem and offering a solution that truly works, to clearly communicating the value and maintaining the relationship by delivering again and again.

Because just like car washing, selling isn't about pushing, it's about taking action, doing outreach, and delivering value exactly when the customer needs it.