There are a lot of common threads connecting us. We all got up early today. We’re dedicated to our businesses. We’re here to network. We’re smart, trustworthy, responsive, and we care. We present ourselves. We edify and acknowledge each other. And that’s just inside Elevate. We also have commonalities outside the room. We build committed relationships with our families, and show up for the people in our lives, including our clients. We’re moving our businesses forward and we’re all in various phases of growth.
But all of us are also different. In fact, it’s in the very foundation of this structure — one seat per profession. Every single person in this meeting is different in our professional pursuits. Architecture, design, dentistry, marketing, real estate, legal practice, coaching, therapy, computers, construction, charitable causes, wine, websites, jewelry, and the list goes on and on and on.
So we’re the same and we’re different.
Consider that the same is true about our clients and customers.
They all have different needs, different stories, different budgets, and different value systems. They have different skill sets, levels of leadership, communication skills, and education. Different tolerance levels, different egos, different taste and sense of style.
And yet, they are all the same — human beings who also wake up in the morning, go to sleep at night, and care about those close to them. They’re looking forward to getting life back to normal. And excited to get out and have some fun. They desire happiness and satisfaction, enough money to buy what they want and enough time to enjoy it. They struggle, feel pain, have a birthday every year, and hopefully celebrate the wins when they can.
They, like us, are all different. And yet also the same. And this is true of all clients and potential clients — even the big, scary ones.
So it’s simple. Let your humanity connect with theirs. See them for who they are, discern their needs, and how you can support them.
Keep aware of what makes your product, service, and brand be the one they need, the one they want, the one with which they can connect.
Here’s to our humanity — to our similarities, and to our differences. To business, business relationships, and to growth.
