Naked service requires vulnerability, humility, and transparency to prioritize the client's needs. It involves overcoming three key fears: [1] fear of losing business by being honest even if it's difficult; [2] fear of embarrassment from asking questions or admitting mistakes; and [3] fear of feeling inferior by focusing entirely on the client instead of one's own ego or accomplishments. Naked service providers shed these fears by consulting rather than selling, giving honest feedback, asking questions, celebrating mistakes, taking responsibility, honoring the client, and doing whatever work is needed.

1. Naked Service Model
At its core, naked service boils down to the
ability of a service provider to be vulnerable
– to embrace uncommon levels of
humility, selflessness, and transparency for
the good of a client.

2. Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid
awkward and painful situations, which is why it
is no surprise that we are susceptible to the
three fears that prevent us from building loyalty
with our clients.
Those three fears are…

3. #1
FEAR OF LOSING THE BUSINESS
• Hurts our ability to keep and increase
business, because it causes us to avoid doing
the difficult things that engender great loyalty
and trust with the people we are trying to
serve.
• Clients can smell fear and are repelled by it.
They are attracted to a service provider who
will be honest and direct with them, even if it
might jeopardize the relationship.

4. #2
FEAR OF BEING EMBARRASSED
• This fear is rooted in pride and is ultimately
about avoiding the appearance of ignorance,
wanting to be seen instead and smart or
competent.
• Naked service providers are so concerned
about helping a client that they are willing to
ask questions and make suggestions even if
those questions and suggestions could turn
out to be laughably wrong.

5. #3
FEAR OF FEELING INFERIOR
Like the previous fear, this one has its roots in
ego, but there is an important difference between
the two.
• Fear of feeling inferior is not about our intellectual
pride, but rather about preserving our sense of
importance and social standing relative to a client.
• Naked service providers not only overcome their
need to feel important in the eyes of their
clients, but also purposefully put themselves in a
lower position.

6. Shedding the fears:
Fear of losing the Business…
• Always consult instead of sell.
– Turn sales situation into an opportunity to demonstrate the
value of what you do.
– They will start to see themselves as your client before they
formally decide to become one.
• Give away the business. (2 applications)
– (going w/ the idea… consult, not sell) By demonstrating
generosity and trust, you drastically increase the likelihood of
making them a client, and prove you can help them.
– (?) Always err on the side of the client when it comes to fees.
Show you are more focused on helping them than you are in
maximizing your short-term revenue.

7. Shedding the fears:
Fear of losing the Business…
• Tell the kind truth.
– Naked service providers confront a client w/ a
difficult message, even when the client might not
like hearing it.
– If you aren’t willing to tell your client the
truth, why should they pay you?

8. Shedding the fears:
Fear of losing the Business…
• Enter the danger
– Meaning, having the courage to fearlessly deal with an
issue that everyone else is afraid to address.
• Clients will see you as having courage and integrity, and then those
dangerous situations become an opportunity for adding value and
building trust.
– Naked service providers don’t shy away from
uncomfortable situations; they step right into the middle
of them.
• Concept taken from improv… instead of avoiding playing off of a
bizarre comment or behavior, they engage in those wacky
situations.

9. Shedding the fears:
Fear of being embarrassed…
• Ask dumb questions.
– NSP ask dumb questions that others in the room
are afraid to ask out of fear that they would
embarrass themselves.
– (?) if you ask 5 questions, 3 of them could be
considered dumb but there is potential to benefit
from the other two questions.

10. Shedding the fears:
Fear of being embarrassed…
• Make dumb suggestions
– Go beyond merely asking “dumb” questions, make
suggestions that you aren’t sure of, knowing that you
are you putting yourself in a position to be more
embarrassed
– Client will remember that one great idea more than
the not-so-great ones.
– You don’t want you client to feel that you are holding
back any ideas out of fear of being humiliated, then
they are being cheated - they expect that some of
your suggestions will be less informed than theirs.

11. Shedding the fears:
Fear of being embarrassed…
• Celebrate your mistakes
– Rather than attemping to hide or downplay your
errors, readily call them out and take
responsibility for them.
– Though it may seem counterintuitive, it actually
increases the client’s level of trust and loyalty.
They don’t expect perfection, but they do expect
honesty and transparency.

12. Shedding the fears:
Fear of feeling inferior…
• Take a bullet for the client
– Often misunderstood – does not mean enabling
them to do the wrong thing by taking the blame
for them, its about being humble and taking some
of the burden off of a client in a difficult situation.
– Accept responsibility for something that may or
may not be your fault

13. Shedding the fears:
Fear of feeling inferior…
• Make everything about your client
– Throw your full attention to the world of your
client, try not to shift to attention to you or your
level of experience/knowledge. Make it clear that
your focus is on understanding, honoring and
supporting the business of the client.
– Downplay your own accomplishments allowing
clients to discover them for themselves.

14. Shedding the fears:
Fear of feeling inferior…
• Honor the clients work
– (a lot like previous one but its bigger than that)
Honor your client be taking an active interest in
their business and appreciating the importance of
that business to the client and their customers. –
THIS CAN’T BE FAKED!!
– Raises the question…. What if a potential client is
involved in a business we don’t respect – Good
indication you should not do work for them.

15. Shedding the fears:
Fear of feeling inferior…
• Do the dirty work
– Be willing to take on whatever a client needs you
to within the context of your services.
• It may not be exciting, and you may be perceived as
lower than that the client or how you’d like to be
percieved, but because you are humble and more
concerned about your client than yourself you do what
they need.
• You will earn their loyalty and gratitude

16. General principal…
• Admit your weakness and limitation
– We all have weaknesses, if you try to cover you
will end up putting yourself in a situation of having
to do more of what you aren't good at.
– Don’t try and be something you’re not, its
exhausting and keeps you from doing your best.