What my client noticed that I never mention
The sales argument I’ve been leaving on the table
Two weeks ago, one of my client posted on LinkedIn about our team retreats together.
He listed what he got out of the day.
The structure.
The clarity.
How much we accomplished.
But the biggest benefit he mentioned? It wasn’t any of that.
It was that he got to fully show up as a participant.
No mental load. No watching the clock. No reading the room and deciding what comes next. He was just... in it.
… Facilitating a day like this yourself? Almost impossible.
You need someone who pulls you out of your comfort zone.
Who asks the questions you tend to avoid. Who helps you actually name things.
That hit me harder than I expected.
Because I never sell that.
When I pitch my facilitation services, I talk about collaboration problems. The value of a clear process. Getting more done in less time. All true, all valid.
But I almost never say: “And you’ll actually get to be present in your own session.”
Which is a bit wild when you think about it.
Because facilitating your own team’s session? You might be skilled at it. But you’re not fully in it. Your contribution gets filtered through your facilitator hat. Your real thoughts stay half-formed. Your colleagues get a version of you, not all of you.
That’s the hidden cost of running your own workshops.
And for a lot of leaders, “you’ll actually get to participate” might be the most compelling argument of all.
I’ve been leaving it on the table every single time I pitch.
So my question for you: do you use this argument when you sell your services? Or are you leaving it on the table too?
Yes, the newsletter of today is short and sweet.
Btw, this Thursday we’re hosting a free 90-minute training
On May 21, David and I are running a free live session from 2:00 to 3:30 pm CET.
We’ll cover:
Why facilitation is becoming an essential skill for leaders, consultants, project managers, and team leads
Why so many meetings and workshops feel confusing, slow, or ineffective
How to structure a workshop from ideas to alignment to decisions
How to ensure the right flow to get real outcomes by the end
Free, live, 90 minutes. Come with questions.
One more thing
Now comes the big news. You’re actually the first to hear this one.
I’m taking the Workshop Design Masterclass outside of Belgium.
Until now, it only existed as a private training for my corporate clients. This year, I’m running it as a public format. Three cities. Small groups. Fully in person.
Utrecht, Netherlands - 24-25 June 2026
Graz, Austria - 24-25 August 2026
Casablanca, Morocco - Fall 2026 TBC
Two days of hands-on training. You’ll leave with a system to design workshops from the first stakeholder conversation to a ready-to-run agenda.
