Bowerbird | Setting the Scene

A bowerbird doesn’t wait for a partner to arrive before preparing its stage.
It clears the ground. Curates each object. Arranges color, texture, and rhythm long before the dance begins.

Client relationships work the same way.

Before a client ever reaches out, they’ve already been observing. They’ve scanned your website. Noted your tone. Noticed what you share, what you emphasize, and what you quietly ignore. They’re deciding, often subconsciously, whether approaching you will feel easy, safe, and worthwhile.

Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone, reminds us that strong relationships are built before they’re needed. That means stepping into your client’s shoes early and asking:
What questions are they wrestling with? What keeps them up at night? What excuses do they make instead of kicking off a project?

Setting the scene might look like clearing visual clutter from your website so your message feels calm and confident. It may involve clarifying your language so clients recognize themselves in your words. It could be sharing articles, presentations, or short videos that address concerns you can help clients resolve.

And sometimes, it’s literal: inviting people into a finished space. Hosting an open house. Letting them experience your work firsthand.

The bowerbird attracts not by chasing, but through preparation.
When you thoughtfully set the scene, your reputation isn’t built by what you say about yourself. It’s built by how you make others feel when they approach you.