The ONLY Solution

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Jamie woke up with a scratchy throat, bloodshot eyes and a runny nose. While she knew she probably should take the day off, she had tons of things to get done before the holidays and a little cold wasn't going to stop her. As the day wore on so did Jamie. By the next morning she realized she needed to see a doctor.  When she visited her physician he prescribed some medication and told her to drink more fluids and get to sleep earlier. Jamie listened to his advice, took the medication and did exactly as he told her. Why? Because he's a doctor - a respected professional. He has received specialized training and has likely treated hundreds of people in the same way.  How about yourself? Are you not respected in your industry? Have you not received specialized education in your field of endeavor? Haven't you helped hundreds of people in the same way this physician has?
	Everything human beings do, they do for one of two reasons: TO AVOID PAIN OR GAIN PLEASURE
What Builds Credibility Why do we unquestioningly head the advice of professionals like doctors, lawyers and CPA's? First, we have to recognize that at the moment we seek assistance from these professionals we are more than likely experiencing some PAIN. At the very least we have some extreme degree of comfort. Our bodies are not at optimal performance or we are involved in a legal battle threatening our financial standing or perhaps the IRS is beating down our door. As we've discussed before, the problem is more important than the solution. Second, the institution of medicine, law and accounting has had hundreds of years to shape the opinions toward doctors, lawyers and accountants. They have created organizations, such as the AMA to create consistency and program physicians in how to speak to their patients in a professional detached manner. They have built a huge credibility for doctors and have thus created powerful "attraction" for customers. They have created the perception that "doctors" are not just a better solution, they are the ONLY solution. Think about it. Does such an organization exist in your industry? I would think not.
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Third, most professionals such as doctors begin their "interview" with a series of questions. In fact this is 99.9% if not 100% of the entire exchange between client and prospect (or patient and physician). In many cases the doctor may NEVER present a solution to the problem. The doctor's sole part in the communication is to ask questions. The patient's is to give answers. It would be rude and out of character for the patient to ask about the doctor's credentials or experiences. The institution of medicine has very wisely done all they could to make this the reality of the doctor patient relationship. Telling is Selling Oddly enough it is not what we tell people about our company, product or service that builds credibility. In fact the more we tell them, the LESS credible we appear. Telling is selling and no one likes to be sold. You may be thinking; "that's fine for a professional but I'm a simple service provider not an eminent physician or attorney."
	Finally my "Attract More Business" learning program is available. It includes a 150 page color manual, 9 CDs, and my personal Tele-Coaching. Check it out here:www.attractmorebusiness.com
My answer to you is that I think this strategy can be applied to any type of business whether you are a professional, a nonprofessional, large or small organization. For example, my wife and I were recently vacationing in the Bahamas. We like to snorkel and dive when in these tropical areas. Typically we prefer to rent our own small boat since we abhor the traditional "dive or snorkel boat scenes." However we also like to connect with someone who can give us the lay of the land - the good spots, what to avoid, dangers, where the fish are, etc. As you can imagine this is a very difficult thing to do. Most providers are trying to sell you their pre-packaged tours and almost none of these offer this type of service. When we disembarked our flight we saw dozens of flyers, posters and signs advertising typical snorkel trips, dive excursions and rental boats. They all looked the same. They all said the same thing. They all seemed to DO the same thing.
	Here's Jean-Michel Cousteau himself. I got to meet him and chat for a bit.

There was one that stood out from the pack:

Jean-Michel Cousteau's Out Islands Adventures - You build your own underwater adventure.

There were a few things that made this jump out at me. First, I knew that Jean-Michel Cousteau was the son of the legendary Jacques Cousteau. Second, I knew that the best snorkeling and diving was near the islands that were further off-shore from the main island. However most of the snorkel and dive boats did not go out that far. And third, the build your own underwater adventure was just too compelling to pass-up. 

So I called Jean-Michel Cousteau's Out Islands Adventures expecting Jean himself to pick-up the phone. Well he didn't however the person that did was cheerful, enthusiastic and very helpful. She gave me a brief 30 second description of how Jean-Michel Cousteau's Out Islands Adventures was different from every other snorkel/dive service. Then she asked me a series of questions that helped her understand precisely what I desired. I spoke with her for nearly 40 minutes and all she did was ask me relevant and open-ended questions. I did almost ALL of the talking. When I had finished she told me that she could "customize" a package for us and what the cost would be. 

Now while the cost was significantly higher than I had planned, we were so excited about this 5 day underwater dream vacation that we went for it without a second thought. I don't have to tell you that it was by far the best and most satisfying excursion we have ever had. They took us out for one entire day and gave us a personal tour of all the places that were important for us, a map of the areas we would be touring, a beautiful 20 foot Boston whaler stocked with food, water, gas, GPS, depth finder and even ship to shore radio. 

My point is we can all redefine our selves in the mind's eye of the customer if we follow this simple rule of attraction and find ways to position ourselves not simply as a BETTER solution but rather as the ONLY solution. 

Admittedly this requires proper branding approach. That's why I'd like to invite you to attend this Monday's Tele-Clinic on "Developing Brands."

Developing Brands - Monday, Nov. 29 at 1pm
While this article may just begin to address the subject of branding, I will be conducting a TeleClinic on Branding this Monday, November 29, 2004 at 1pm during which I will focus on the steps to creating a powerful branding strategy and how to put a branding campaign into action in a practical way. During this 30 minute TeleClinic I will be referring to numerous case studies and I will take questions as well. We will only be able to accommodate a limited number of participants for this telephone clinic so act now. TeleClinics are held over a standard telephone line during which I present detailed information on ways to improve your business performance. They are a great way to get your specific questions answered directly by me. The cost is only $29. To read more go to www.deoteleclinics.com, and to register, go tohttps://www.sbanetwork.org/learning/signup.asp.

Have a great week!

I hope that this "Business Update" has been helpful in assisting you to improve the performance of your organization. For more information on how the Small Business Advisory Network assists companies in improving their performance, please feel free to contact us at 310-320-8190 or email mark@markdeo.com 

Mark Deo