Teach A Man to Fish… and He Might Just Starve!

Teach A Man to Fish… and He Might Just Starve!

The saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.Really? I don’t think so! I think it’s better said, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he knows how to fish”.Nothing more! Actually, if you teach a man to fish he might just starve to death. Just because someone knows how to fish doesn’t mean they’re going to fish. You can teach all you want but unless the man takes action, and does the things you taught him, nothing happens. The results will always be the same… an empty belly.

I wrote the CHAMP(Certified Home Assessment and Modification Professional) certification program to help contractors and providers better understand the workers compensation industry and to provide them with information that can help them build their businesses in the market. The course teaches them to fish! Yet the most common complaint we hear is “I went through the program but I didn’t receive claims”. My response? What have YOU done with the information provided?

Do you have the right pole? Did you use the right bait? Did you go to the right body of water? Did you go at the right time of day? Did you use the right line? Did you tie the right knot? Did you cast in the right location? And did you continue to do the right things until you landed a fish? Did you do ANYTHING at all? Why would you take a course to learn to fish if you never intend to actually go fishing? Nuts!

Even on the best days, fishing can better be called casting because you cast far more often than you catch. Imagine taking a fishing class, getting all the best equipment, purchasing a boat and then going to the best fishing location known to man. You get out in the boat, bait your hook and toss a perfect cast. You start reeling in your line and soon your hook and lure make it back to the boat…empty. You caught nothing. Oh well, I guess the training was a waste of time and money. It didn’t work for me. Or maybe I’m just not meant to be a fisherman. Really? 

While I doubt anyone would approach fishing in this manner, isn’t that the way many people and businesses approach opportunities? Even if given the opportunity, they complain if not given the fish as well. Let’s be real here, unless you’re willing to do the right things in the right way, repetitively, you’re results will always be the same, an empty belly. If you’re going to invest time and resources in a course, certification or a fishing class, at least do something with it! If not, you’ll be back in line asking for a fish.

With that being said, I’d like to offer contractors and providers yet another unique opportunity. What if you were able to sit at a round table and have meaningful conversations with carriers and case managers? What if the discussions were focused on common issues and then what if you worked collaboratively with those same people to come up with ideas that would help solve those issues. It’s not about marketing. It’s about learning, sharing and creating a relationship that is welcomed and appreciated. It’s about strategic sessions where you get to be a partner rather than a vendor. What if you took that information and those new relationships and modified the way you did business? What if that one introduction turned into a relationship that changed everything? What would that opportunity be worth to you?

That is exactly what the workers compensation CHAMPConnectconference is all about. There is still a seat at the table for you. 

So, do you want to go fishing?

www.champconference.com

September 16th– 19th

Irving, Texas