5 Ways To Incorporate Happiness Practices in Your Business
The other day I got a very aggressive marketing email from a business coach that I admire. I have been a fan of this coach for a while and I know that this coach offers great value to his clients, which is why I was surprised to receive such an email.
The email started by saying something like, “Get off the toilet and make a choice to buy coaching.” Now I have to say that this statement left a bad taste in mouth (metaphorically speaking).
As a coach, I really don’t like to pressure, manipulate, or shame my customers into buying anything. It just doesn’t feel authentic and I only want customers that really want to buy my services.
Your Relationship with Your Customers
Like any relationship in life and business, your customers want to be courted and wooed. Building rapport and trust takes time and effort. It means understanding your customer and the words that influence and inspire them to make a change.
Rushing the process with forceful marketing can damage the relationship and set your efforts back or burn bridges. Resulting in great losses.
There is a great quote from Simon Sinek, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”
This is a powerful statement. As business owners, we are all working to make money doing what we love and I respect that. I believe that when you sell from your heart and soul that there is no need to manipulate, shame, or guilt anybody to purchase.
For years, I have studied coaching, human performance, and behavior change. One of the biggest things I have learned is that as coaches we cannot force people to change until they are ready. Otherwise, it is just wasted effort.
If clients are forced or guilted into doing something, they will resist and eventually give up. And I am not in the business of helping people give up and quit! I am in the business of helping people be happy when they are ready. Not when I need them to be ready.
This is a good practice for all businesses. There are many types of customers, like early adopters and late, late bloomers. Respect each person’s path and speak to each customer in words they can understand.
Now, this sounds like a lot of effort and it is. If you are really great at what you sell, what you sell will sell itself.
5 Tips to Practice Happiness in Your Business
Here are 5 tips for incorporating happiness practices into your business:
- Learn everything you can about your customers. Words are powerful, be mindful and use them wisely to inspire, educate, and encourage your customers to clearly understand why they want to buy from you.
Not why they “should,” this word is very negative and commanding (read tip number 4 to find out why).
- Absolutely love what you sell and believe that “If you built it, they will come.” This means that you have no fears, worries, or anxiety about your abilities to do the best job for your customers.
- Treat your customers with love and respect. Be grateful for their interest in what you do, even if they don’t buy. Also, be grateful for the paying customers you have and thank them often.
Never ever, ever, ever, ever lose sight that without customers, you don’t have a business.
- Market with integrity and respect for yourself and your customers. This means no manipulation, bullying, shame, or guilt. There is already enough of that crap in the world.
Be the trendsetter that spreads “Sunshine and Rainbows” instead of more negativity. It’s more effort and more time, but it’s worth it. What’s the rush?
Avoid using words like: “you should, you need to, you ought to” and other similar frames. These words are speaking to your customer from the “parent ego state” and they come across as authoritative, commanding, and very heavy.
Instead say things like: “you will want to.” This is speaking to your customers from the “adult ego state,” and this gives them the option to choose for herself or himself.
- Sell from your gut and heart, not your brain. Your body always knows what matters the most. Sometimes your brain and ego can lead you down a different path that is not authentic or true to your core values and beliefs.
Final Thoughts
Some business owners are in business to make money and again I respect that. I want to encourage business owners to make money selling products that they love to customers that they love by practicing happiness, gratitude, and respect.
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