"Client never listens to what I say."

From a subscriber: "I have this one stubborn client who never does anything I say. I'm ready to throw in the towel."

I have four children under 10 years old (= chaos, btw).

I find myself saying things like this:

"If all four of you jump on Daddy’s back at the same time like that, he is going to wind up in the emergency room."

But nobody ever listens.

One day I blurted out:

"You can all have a turn, but?only?one of you can jump on Daddy’s back at a time."

Here's why it worked. When you want to persuade someone to do something, you have to show them the?positive opposite?of what they are doing.

Take these actions TODAY

Use the positive opposite.

Instead of arguing or throwing confusion at them, help the person visualize a more positive scenario that is the result of behaving differently.

They say: “I’m not sure when I can meet about doing that financial plan. Maybe next month.”

You say: "I?only?suggest creating a financial plan when I see an action that needs to happen soon. Let's meet next week and avoid the risk of committing an oversight that may not be possible to fix."

Or...

They say: "I have $2MM, but I’d like to start by giving you $50k.”

You say: "We?only?work with your entire portfolio because it is the?only?way we can manage your wealth properly and deliver the maximum possible value of our services."

Or...

They say: “Why didn’t I get 25% return this year? I could have invested in the stocks Cramer mentioned on his show and done better than you did for me.”

You say: "I would?only?be comfortable with you getting double digit returns if you had a risk tolerance that equated to a standard deviation of 10% or higher."

Sara's upshot

Show clients the?positive opposite using the word "only" because it:

• Avoids having them feel judged;
• Displays thoughtfulness;
• Implies exclusivity;
• Creates urgency;
• Shows that you are focused on them – you are observant of them and have selected them because they fit the “only;” and
• Inspires action by demonstrating cause and effect.

Yeah?

Yaaaaah.

BOOM - there you go, today's marketing tip for ya!

-Sara G

• I am an outsourced CMO for companies who need regular, full service marketing - blogging, social media posts, newsletters, etc.
• I am an hourly consultant for those who just need one-time or recurring guidance
• People hire me as a ghostwriter to write content for a project fee
• I have a?social media training program
• I have a book about?what to say on LinkedIn?messenger
• I have a book about how to create a simple marketing plan
• I offer career consulting for aspiring equity analysts

?

Just letting ya know, in case you need me at some point.

-Sara G