Not too long ago, I was at a social gathering with a bunch of friends.
It came to light that a good friend of mine (we’ll call him Greg) was interested in a particular woman (we’ll call her Giuliana), who was not present at this particular gathering.
Someone else at the party (we’ll call her Marsha) suggested that Giuliana was “out of Greg’s league” and that Greg should pick another candidate.
Greg’s response was not only brilliant, but a rallying-cry besides:
“I Decide Who’s In My League. I’m The COMMISSIONER Of My League. I’ll Let Giuliana Decide On Me!”
Bravo, Greg.
Really, there’s one thing I could say – if you’ve seen a TV show called The Wire, you will know what I’m getting at:
Anyway…
Who’s setting the rules in your business?
For example:
- Did you refuse to call prospective customers because you’ve already decided, on your prospects’ behalf, that they don’t like phone calls, don’t answer their phones, and don’t call back?
- Have you already decided, on your subscribers’ behalf, that your list “doesn’t like e-mails” so you hold back and deprive the world of your brilliance and your passion?
- When given an opportunity to appear before a new audience, or speak on stage at a big event, did you pre-emptively decide, on your host’s behalf, not to even ask permission to show their audience a big, bold opportunity to invest (rather than ask first, and give your host the chance to say YES or no)?
- Did you lower the price even before you made the offer? Did you make the decision, on your potential future customer’s behalf, they didn’t have the budget to pay?
- Did you consult with any of these people before making decisions on their behalf?
Here’s the main question:
Who Are You, Anyway, To Go Around Making These Decisions For Other People?
Going back to my friends at the party:
Did someone retire/quit/die and leave Marsha in charge as the arbiter of what women are inside and outside of Greg’s league?
Is Giuliana obligated to consult with Marsha and gain her permission before going out with Greg?
Okay, then.
How about letting your audience and prospects make some decisions, for a change, about saying “YES” to investing in your products, services, and solutions?
YOUR Money Is Still In THEIR Wallet (Or On Their Credit Card)
It’s up to them whether they decide to give it to you.
Or give you their card to process the payment.
Your role is to help them make that decision. We’ll be talking more about this as we go through the rest of this book.
All that said, when all the things I mentioned above happen, they are clues that some sort of business failure is on the horizon – perhaps not bankruptcy, but something.
It’s usually driven by fear.
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