“Small errors in judgment may cost a career even if you’re one of the best that play the game.”
We’ve seen it in sports. You’ve seen it in your industry. It’s true every day. Jeffery Gitomer mesmerized a group of conference-weary and social media phobes with the simplicity of messages that need to be delivered by power point. He presented at a recent National Speakers Association conference. Among his incredibly simple slides was this spoken quote. The audience didn’t miss it because it wasn’t buried in text and background. His slides complimented it, didn’t disguise or water down the verbal message. Most importantly, the power point wasn’t the message. It’s not about the slides. Like Lance knows its not about the bike.
It’s also not about the weights. Or the BOSU. Or the TRX. Or whatever you think you need to have today. It’s about the connection you make with the people who need you.
They come for you. There may be a new program in town. There may be a new studio attracting clients that makes your business slower somehow. Be careful about what you say about them. Be careful about what you do to counter that business deficit. When you make poor choices about taking in clients, about creating a ‘deal’ in order to get the sale, you make an error in judgment that will cost you more than not getting the sale would have.
Don’t throw your colleagues under the bus. You represent them and vice verse. That goes for the staff in your business. Did you undersell them or would you devalue their services in order to get the sale? Did you make a special allowance and then just relay the news to them? How well has that worked in the past?
It goes for the people in the industry who are your competition. You and they are lumped together, whether they are credible or not, whether you are or not. If you’re busier pointing fingers at another business because of the way they are doing things that you don’t agree with, your business isn’t busy enough to be bragging about it, or won’t be for long.
Actionable items:
1. Set some policies for your business. Start small. Returning phone calls. Cancellations. Guarantees. Refunds. Then tackle bigger items..point of sale authority to make adjustments…special arrangements for expiration or length of use.
2. Find leaks in your current business where you may be looking out your back window at road kill rather than focusing on what YOU do best and attracting clients and customers who appreciate that. If you ARE the best, you shouldn’t be telling other people about it, your customers should.
3. Set up Social Media so that THEY CAN!
4. Give. Content, solutions, testimonials …in your social media. Be Generous and the rewards will come.
