You Never Know... (This One Made Me Laugh Out Loud):
Some friends and I were commiserating about the challenges of helping aging parents (ranging from technology-disasters, to assisted living decisions).
One person told us about a friend's recent health scare with her elderly mother, who had called to report that she was having some chest pain.
The daughter couldn't discern whether it might be a heart attack, so she wasn't sure just how alarmed to be.
She lived nearby, though, so she said to her mother: “Ok, I'm coming right over. Why don't you just go lie down, and I'll be there soon!”
As she sped over in her car, she got another call from her mom:
"Honey, it's okay– I was taking off my clothes to go to bed, and realized my chest hurt all morning because I'd tucked my boobs into my pants.”
Yes, there's a business-lesson in this:
Sometimes what you think is the problem, isn't really the problem.
Your program may be amazing, but your sales copy isn't compelling enough.
You're marketing to ideal clients, but your call-to-action may be weak or confusing (or non-existent!).
You think you're helping by offering multiple options to work with you, but it just feels overwhelming to your potential clients.
Don't assume that the problem is YOU or your service.
In fact, don't assume, ever.
As someone once taught me, “Assumptions are the enemy of marketing.”
When things aren't going well, try getting curious.
Grab your metaphorical science lab-coat and clipboard, and walk step-by-step through the process to see where things may need tweaking.
Experiment with different strategies.
Get outside feedback.
Try not to turn on yourself (to quote Ted Lasso again, “Be curious, not judgmental.”).
And remember, sometimes the best thing you can do to get a clear perspective is to just take a break and lie down for a little while ;)
-Jane