No Assumptions
This week on the Courage & Clarity Podcast, I thought we could circle up and have a little talk about something you're doing that will really hurt your progress:
You're assuming. You're making assumptions.
Now I can't say for 100% certain that YOU, individually, are making assumptions. But I'm pretty sure you can relate to this to some degree, because:
1. I personally have caught myself needing to check my assumptions lately, and
2. Many assumptions are coming up among my students inside my training program, Crickets to Customers.
Strange times are upon us. Strange times bring uncertainty, uncertainty brings fear, and FEAR has a really slick way of teaming up with your imagination. Maybe you've heard the acronym for FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real. So what are some examples of this false evidence, aka assumptions?
"If I ask people to pay me, I'm taking advantage of them at a time like this."
"No one has the money to work with me right now."
"No one is going to pay attention, everyone has their eyes on the news."
"No one has the time to dedicate to my thing because their kids are home."
If these sound familiar, you're far from alone. But the key, as usual, is self awareness. When you feel a fear like this rising up in you, we need STOP for a second to avoid the spiral. We need to sort out whether our fear is real or imagined. Often, it's a combination of both. Even if there is some reality to your fear, you're probably hyping it up way more in your mind (imagination).
We need to stop and ask ourselves:
--> Am I making assumptions?
--> Do I really have rock solid evidence this is true?
--> Is there another way to look at this?
Let's examine those common assumptions I mentioned earlier and see if we can't bust 'em:
"No one is going to pay attention, everyone has their eyes on the news."
→ Is this true, or might it also be true that people need your solution more than ever?
Your angle is everything. If you feel like you've hit a dead end, look for another way in. My students are practicing this right now:
Keela is a makeup expert. Suddenly, tons of office workers have been thrust into the world of working from home. Keela can help them establish a 5 minute makeup routine to help people feel a sense of normalcy and sanity, even if they don't leave the house.
Vicky is helping her fellow hypnotists take their businesses online when all they've ever known are in-person client sessions.
Allison is taking her mommy & me cookie decorating classes to Zoom, providing much-needed virtual classes to quarantined kiddos.
"Stop babysitting people's wallets."
People are HAPPY to pay for these things -- positioning matters. Please, don't dim your light at a time like this. We need fewer headlines and more opportunities to grow, learn, & adapt. There's never been a better time to try latte art, cookie decorating, yoga or website coding. Many people just got hours back into their days as they're not commuting. Be the welcome distraction and positive direction people need right now, and don't assume they won't pay attention.
"No one has the money to work with me right now."
→ People still need solutions to their problems + desires regardless of what's going on in the world.
It's even possible they need your solution now more than ever! How do you know they don't have the money? Has your ideal customer allowed you to peek inside her bank account? Do you have access to her credit card statement? This is an assumption, plain and simple. We have to STOP babysitting other people's wallets. Maybe buying your service will be the best thing they ever did. Maybe they will have to use a credit card, or maybe they will sell things around the house to make it happen.
Or, maybe buying your service will be a mistake for them. If so, that is THEIR mistake to make -- I've personally learned plenty from the times I've bought a course I never actually used. Your customers are big boys and girls capable of making their own financial decisions. YOU focus on providing kick ass value; let THEM decide whether or not they can buy.
"If I ask people to pay me, I'm taking advantage of them at a time like this."
→ You may be saying, "Sure, people need this, but perhaps I should give it away for free."
Perhaps. I'm not in your gut and only you can say what you should do for sure. But consider the level of seriousness that comes with PAYING for something. The expression "bought in" exists for a reason. There's something about putting money down, whether that's $10 or $1000, that makes us bring our butts to the line.
"No one benefits when you stop making money."
I know you're trying to help when you give it away for free, but what is worse: someone having to find the money for something they want and need, or someone not getting the result they so desperately crave because they didn't take it seriously?
And one last point: no one benefits when you stop making money. Our economy depends on you making & spending money -- that's how this thing works. Say it with me now: there is nothing evil about making money when I'm helping people.
(All of this being said, if you'd like to offer scholarships & make individual decisions based on individual hardships / circumstances, GO FOR IT. Just don't make blanket assumptions that everyone's situation is the same.)
"No one has the time to dedicate to my thing because their kids are home."
→ By now you're a pro -- you know this is an assumption, right?
I'm full of expressions today so here's another one: "If you want it, you'll find the time. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." Let's STOP assuming. Let's toss out these hollow, FEAR-driven questions, like "Do people have money?" or "Do people have time?" And replace them with hard-hitting ones:
"What is it that people really want?"
"What is a NO BRAINER for the people I want to serve?"
"How do I show up and provide incredible value while also receiving compensation for my expertise to create an even energy exchange?"
So, have you been making assumptions? How can you re-position yourself to connect with the people who need you most right now?
Links & Resources
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