A few weeks ago I spent time with two thirsty men. They were passionate about their business, innovative, and already on their way to leading a tribe. Wake owns an electric bike Shop called The Ebike Store in Portland Oregon and Jason is the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette. So why do I call them thirsty? Without pitching my services, they were compelled to ask more about what I do and how I do it. No matter what service you provide, unless someone needs it, and actually understands they need it, then you really are wasting your time and theirs.
A while back a young ambitious college age painting contractor came by my house and offered his company’s service. After letting him do his pitch I informed him that I was not interested. He went on to tell me that my house was in need of a new paint job and it could not wait another year. What he did not know is that I painted houses and businesses when I was his age and the house at the time in fact had about two years left before it needed painting. Plus, when I am ready to paint, I will be doing it myself. His problem was simple, I was neither in need of what he offered nor was he able to convince me otherwise. I was not thirsty.
Now a better salesman could have convinced me otherwise, but it takes a lot of effort at the risk of an unsatisfied customer and your brand being damaged. If you spend all your time offering a service they were not really interested in the first place, chances are they will not value it in the long run.
“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.” It seemed like an odd statement to my young ears, until I witnessed it my self. When I was ten years old it was my chore to get our horses to drink water before our long day on the trail. We usually had 5 or 6 horses on our extended trips into the Wallowa Mountains, and there was always one stubborn one that would not drink. As much as I tried I could not put my ten year old weight into dragging him to the stream. It was futile.
Later in the day though he was the first to put all his energy into making a bee-line to the lake at the end of the day. He was finally thirsty. This goes with most businesses I encounter. They are bombarded daily by salespeople who offer ways for them to make their business more profitable. Some offer real value and others are just wasting their time with snake oil. The difference for you comes when you can connect with the ones that are seeking what you offer and see the value in it. They are the ones that will benefit and in the long run they will also be the first ones that will tell anyone they can about how you helped them.
I have learned this after many attempts to convince those that are just not thirsty. Keep listening and doing what you do best. If you truly are doing a remarkable job, the businesses that are a great match for you will be easy to find.
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