This post is mostly a reminder to myself but may benefit others as well.
Not everyone wants to grow their business.
Of course I know this intellectually, but, it is easy to assume that everyone does. These assumptions creep into our language and we may not even be aware of them.
Case in point, I recently invited someone to join my online Expert Directory. When this person hesitated, I assumed that I had not done a good job explaining the benefits of being a member. After all it’s free and it will help you get referrals.
I started to explain these benefits when I caught myself and asked if he was even interested in getting referrals or growing his business. It turns out this person is going through a process to make a big decision about what to do with his business. Because of this, he does not feel comfortable taking on new clients at this time.
Since I am a marketing coach, most people I talk to want to grow their business. This makes it easy for me to assume that everyone wants to grow. However, some folks may want to remain at the status quo. Some may wish to work with fewer, more profitable customers. It’s important for me to listen for what these people really need in order to fulfill their goals.
What sort of assumptions do you make about your clients’ needs?
