By the Ocean
Clear 71 Degrees
7:10 a.m.
When you’re building a business where you’re the expert, every business problem is usually a YOU problem.
That’s what makes business so valuable. Yes, you get money, but you also get a brand new you. (Provided you’re paying attention and don’t constantly lie to yourself.)
I started my career as a marketing consultant and copywriter as a card carrying member of the “Yes Men of America Club.” Due are cheap, the membership if full of insecure scaredy cats and everyone says YES when they’re asked to renew!
Back then, if you wanted a YES, I was the place to find one!
Eventually, I discovered that being a YES man is a big disservice to the world. Not only does it mean you try to solve problems your clients should solve (because you couldn’t say NO like a normal adult would), but it also means that you LIE about the smart choices your client should be making so you can avoid the discomfort of saying NO to the people who are paying you.
This makes for a terrible advisor. And any more, that’s most of the work I do. I see, I feel, I strategize, I advise.
- Go that way.
- Have you considered doing that?
- What if you did X?
- What makes you think Y is the right way?
- Have you ever thought about the possibility of Z?
If you’re trying to make them happy, you are doing it wrong. No one can make anyone happy. You are there to move them closer to their goals, that’s IT. If they like you, that’s a bonus.
If you care about their happiness, you will lose their respect. And that will mean your advice will serve them less. It’s a downward spiral that never ends well.
You can fix this if you commit to the goal. What is the goal? If you don’t have one, that’s a problem.
With each client, just ask the simple question: “What does success look like here?” And then pursue that.
If you don’t have an answer, the first order of business is to get one.