I Care About You. Do You?

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“Should you care more about solving your buyers’ problems than they do?”

Now, obviously, in my business, the “buyer” is both those who need my services and clients who have engaged my services.

The reason the question stood out for me was because the answer to the question is something I speak with clients about all the time.

My short answer to the question was a resounding “No.” No, I should not care more about solving my clients’ problems than they do. No. Absolutely not.

Over the last 25 years, I’ve told many a client directly, “When losing weight, when getting healthy, when getting rid of your meds, when setting an example for your kids, when fearing a cancer recurrence or another heart attack or stroke, when fear of transitioning from type 2 to type 1 diabetes, when . . . (etc. and so forth) . . . becomes more important to you than it is to me, when you want it for yourself more than I want it for you, only then will you be successful.”

And, previously, this message was conveyed most often to parents (usually the moms) of obese kids.

I can’t tell you how many times in the past, at a time when I used to work with young children, a parent (who was most often very overweight or obese) paid me, and then thought the “magic” happens; that just by paying me their kid would lose weight. (It’s like folks who join a gym so they can tell everyone, “I joined a gym.” But do they ever go to the gym? Rarely, if ever.)

I would say to that parent straight-up: “When you start to care even half as much as I do about helping your child, when you realize paying me isn’t enough, that there’s work involved, only then will your child stand a chance at not battling their weight, a problem you gave them, for the rest of their lives.”

I do care about my clients. A lot.

I do passionately want to help them.

Clients do see, know and understand that the solution (my program and services) is critical to their problem and, frankly, in many cases, to their survival.

And I am very good at what I do.

But no matter my sincere intentions; no matter my experience and track record of success; no matter the fabulous, healthy diet and lifestyle services and personal attention I provide; I absolutely cannot help anyone solve their problems who isn’t committed and dedicated to helping themselves (or their children).