From Service Provider to Transformation Partner with Joe Pine

 Are You Selling a Service… or a Transformation?

Is your consulting or coaching business truly positioned for the level of impact and income you want?

In this Consulting Matters interview, I sat down with to unpack what it really means to move from services into transformation. And this is not just a theoretical shift. This is the difference between being commoditized and becoming indispensable.

To help us do this and create the path from products to services to experiences to transformations, I'm beyond excited to bring you author, speaker, and advisor to Fortune 500 companies like my beloved Disney, where I first got introduced to his work back in 1999 when I was a brand-new organization development consultant, Joe Pine.

One of my first projects at Disney was with the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. The GM was Cesar, and at our first meeting, he handed me Joe's Experience Economy book and asked for my help implementing these principles to stage more engaging, immersive experiences for the guests at the Fort.

So I have been a fan of Joe's work since then. And even more so with his book on the Transformation Economy, which made me realize why I have butterflies all over the place, and as the icon of my logo, because of how much I love this industry and how much this is such a key part of what I do.

Why Services Are No Longer Enough

Most consultants and coaches are still operating at the service level. They are selling:

• Hours

• Sessions

• Deliverables

• Advice

But here’s the problem. That model is increasingly being commoditized.

Joseph Pine explains that we’ve moved through a progression of economic value, from commodities to goods to services to experiences and now to transformations. And if you stay at the service level, you are competing on price, convenience, and efficiency.

Transformation is where real value lives.

The Shift That Changes Everything

One of the most powerful moments in our conversation was this:

“Nobody wants to buy coaching… what they want is to be a better X.”

Read that again.

Your clients are not buying your process. They are not buying your time. They are not even buying your expertise.

They are buying who they become.

This is the shift:

• From inputs → outcomes

• From services → transformation

• From deliverables → identity change

And when you don’t make this shift, you leave value on the table.

The Real Product Is the Client

This is the idea that stopped me in my tracks:

“The customer is the product.”

If you are in the transformation business, your offer is not your framework, your method, or your sessions.

Your offer is the transformed client.

This changes everything about how you:

• Position your work

• Talk about your value

• Structure your offers

• Price your services

You are not the product. Their transformation is.

What This Means for Your Consulting Business

When you step into the transformation economy, your role shifts.

You are no longer:

• A service provider

• A deliverer of information

• A problem solver

You become:

• A guide

• A strategic partner

• A transformation catalyst

As Joseph explained:

“You guide transformations. You don’t make anybody transform.”

This is why your work is not about control. It is about designing the conditions for change.

How to Start Making This Shift

If you are ready to move into the transformation economy, here are three places to start:

1. Define the Transformation

Get clear on the before and after of your client.

Who are they now?
Who are they becoming?

If you cannot articulate that, you are still selling a service.

2. Redesign the Experience

Transformation happens through experiences.

Look at your process and ask:

• Where am I just delivering information?

• Where can I create a more intentional experience?

Even small shifts in how you guide clients can increase impact dramatically.

3. Align Your Pricing with Outcomes

This is where most consultants get stuck.

As Joseph shared:

“You have to align what you charge for with what your customers truly value.”

If you are charging for time, you are still in the service economy.

Transformation requires outcome-based thinking.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

With AI rising and information becoming more accessible, anything tied to knowledge or process will continue to be commoditized.

But transformation?

That requires:

• Human connection

• Insight

• Experience design

• Strategic guidance

This is why consultants and coaches are not becoming obsolete. They are being invited to evolve.

Remember This...

If you take nothing else from this conversation, take this:

Your clients are already on a journey of transformation.

Your job is not to create the journey.

Your job is to step into it, guide it, and help them become who they are meant to become.

If you are ready to position your work at this level, I can help you clarify your transformation, refine your positioning, and build an offer that reflects your true value.

Visit https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services to learn more or book a conversation.

Next Steps

• Get clear on the transformation you deliver. What is different for your client because they worked with you. Check out Joe's book to dive into this more.

• Look at your client journey and elevate one moment. Where can you be more intentional, more thoughtful, more experiential

• If you are ready to move from service provider to strategic partner, connect with me to clarify your positioning and build an offer that reflects your true value. Learn more here https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services 

Other articles you may enjoy:

• Starting a Consulting Business: How to Get It Right from Day One
• The Trust Factor: Why Brand Clarity Matters for Consultants and Coaches with Dr. J.B. Adams
• The 3 Types of Expertise Every Consultant and Coach Needs to Name and Claim
• Five Brand Positioning Lessons I Learned by Tearing My Process Apart
• The Brand Messaging Process Consultants Need for Clarity and Confidence

About my guest: B. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial startups, and cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a consulting studio focused on helping organizations create new forms of value. He is best known for co-authoring The Experience Economy, a landmark book that redefined how businesses compete by staging memorable experiences rather than simply delivering goods and services, and his latest work, The Transformation Economy, builds on that foundation by showing how businesses can guide customers toward meaningful outcomes and lasting change. Through his work, Pine helps leaders elevate their offerings, rethink their positioning, and design experiences that drive both impact and revenue. Learn more at https://strategichorizons.com/ 

About me: Betsy Jordyn is a brand messaging strategist and business mentor for purpose-driven consultants and coaches. With a background in organizational development—including a consulting career with Disney—she helps experts clarify their unique value, position themselves strategically, and build businesses that deliver impact, income, and personal fulfillment. Connect with Betsy Jordyn to clarify your message, elevate your brand, and attract the clients you're meant to serve. Start here → betsyjordyn.com/services