Not Gonna Happen

Not long ago, I saw a very good, thought-provoking question in my LinkedIn newsfeed:

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

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

The reason that question stood out for me was because the answer is something I speak with both prospects and clients about all the time. And the short answer is a resounding “No.” No, I should not care more about solving my clients problems than they do. No. Absolutely not.

Over the last 22 years, folks, 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 this message is also conveyed (too often!) to parents (usually the moms) of obese kids. I can’t tell you how many times a parent (who, themselves, are most often very overweight or obese) pays me, and then thinks the “magic” happens; that just by paying me their kid will 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.)

To a parent, I’ll say straight-up: “When you start to care even half as much as I do about helping your kid, 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. An 𝑎𝑤𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑡.

I 𝐝𝐨 passionately want to help them.

Clients 𝐝𝐨 see, know and understand that the solution — namely, 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.

And Rosalie Shatzman, manager of my Long Island office for over a decade, is as well.

But no matter our sincere intentions; no matter our experience and track records of success; no matter the fabulous, healthy lifestyle services and personal attention, tools and resources my business provides; we absolutely cannot help anyone solve their problems who isn’t committed and dedicated to helping themselves.

Not gonna happen.