Introducing "The S.T.A.N. Plan"

Do What You Said You Would Do


Do What You Said You Would Do

Giving free advice is easy. You just open your mouth and start yammering away. Don’t bother about your personal experience. Just tell them what they need to be doing. Whether it’s business, personal, community or global doesn’t matter. Just flap your jaws. No real need to be able to back it up. After all, it’s advice. And it’s free. Sorta.

What Does That Even Mean? 

Let’s say you’re a health and wellness personal trainer. You spend all day telling everyone what they should eat and how to exercise. Someone signs up for your course, and you agree to meet them at the gym at 5AM. The first couple of days or weeks go well. Your client is getting results, and all their checks are clearing. Life is going pretty good at this point.

Strike One

Week three arrives and you show up 25 minutes late on Sunday Morning. You apologize for being late. Some friends came over and you stayed up till 2AM watching the game and drinking. The client asks “Is that cigarette smoke I smell?”. You admit to them that smoking is bad for you. You admit you shouldn’t do it. And you admit that you only do it on ‘social occasions’.

Strike Two

Your client asks you what you mean by ‘social occasions’. You tell them it means ‘weddings, special events, and hanging out with friends sometimes”. “You don’t have friends you hangout with every week?” they ask. “I spend too much time with clients and stuff to have friends!” you laugh. And that’s when they start thinking that you don’t really like them.

Strike Three

You’re kind of tired, so rather than going through the routine with your client, you just instruct them on how they are doing. From your seat on the bench press, you tell them what to do next. “Well, since you were late and you’re not helping me with this stuff... do I get a discount?” they ask. ‘It’s Sunday morning, I’m here before 6AM and you want a discount?” you chuckle. Both of you laugh, but neither of you really think it’s funny. That’s when a great customer becomes just another number in your churn.

Why Did This Happen?

Because you weren't who you said you were. You said you were a health nut. You said you would meet them at 5AM. And you said you cared about them. Your actions really didn’t match up with what you were saying. The position that “it doesn’t happen that often’ or ‘it’s Sunday morning’ really don’t support what you said.

So What's The Big Idea?

Be What You Say You Are If you say you’re going to build a better mousetrap. Do it. Say when it’s going to be done, and start in plenty of time. If you say you are a social guru, but don’t use any of the networks.. your claim doesn’t match your actions. If you tell your customers they should create a blog, but don't do one yourself...what does that say about you?
It us true that sometimes your actions aren’t all that evident. For example, I built online communities before they were called that. I was just 'being me'.  But I just never got around to building one for my company.  I've been too busy trying to talk others into taking my advice, while not following it myself.
That excuse stops today. I'm following my own advice, even if no one is watching.

  • My Google Plus Community can be found here : http://goo.gl/xG1H0 
  • My Facebook Page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/STANINC
I invite you to join me, and watch as these communities grow, and learn how to grow yours as well! Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I appreciate it! 

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