Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman

Author:Joey Coleman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2018-04-03T04:00:00+00:00

RUN THROUGH THE TAPE

When I was in junior high, I had an ill-advised stint on the track team. Let’s just say that my top running speed was a little above that of a toddler who has just learned to walk. In fact, one time while running an 800-meter race (two laps around the track) I was so far behind the pack that the organizers turned off the stadium lights before I crossed the finish line. Granted, it was the last race of the night, but come on, people!

My running accomplishments (or lack thereof) aside, I learned a valuable lesson that is familiar to all track runners and should be mandatory teaching (in my opinion) for business leaders everywhere.

In practice, my coach always insisted that I “run through the tape.” He explained that as they near the finish line, most runners focus all their energy on getting to the tape strung across the finish line. This tape was designed to help race officials determine who had won the race—not to mark the runner’s focus.

Coach explained that if you run to the tape, you’re actually slowing down in the final steps as your body is trying to “land” on the finish line. He encouraged me to take my focus farther out—to a spot ten feet behind the finish line. That way, as I was running I would keep accelerating through the finish line instead of slowing down to meet it.

Instead of trying to get your customers to reach the “Accomplished” finish line, focus on helping them make it past their deadline, goal, or desired result.

What is the customer really hoping to do? If you sell a weight loss product, the goal isn’t just to lose twenty pounds—it’s to fit into the suit for the wedding. If you know the actual desire behind the goal, you can help manage the customer to that outcome (e.g., ask them to send a picture wearing the suit at the wedding after losing the weight).

By running through the tape, you ensure that your team and your energies are devoted to going above and beyond the finish line, instead of simply arriving at the desired result the customer expected.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.