Think Like a Fish
Legendary copywriter Gary Bencivenga tells an insightful tale about Long Island fisherman Captain John Rade.
Rade was a rod fisherman who out caught all other fishermen day-in, day-out. In his small launch he’d place out to sea and evenly come back with a larger haul than boats with dozens of fishermen on them.
A local journalist interviewed him once and questioned him what the secret of his success was.
“Well” he said, “when other fishermen set out to sea, they reckon like fishermen”.
“I reckon like a fish”.
OK – so it sounds simple, trite even.
But how many of us really reckon like our clients?
Rade apparently studied fish, and the ocean, obsessively. He knew what uncommon currents meant, uncommon weather conditions, and how the fish would react in each. He was able to go where the fish were, and offer them the bait he knew they’d take.
Are you a real apprentice of your clients? Do you know what they really feel like when they’ve got the sort of problem you deal with – or they’re thinking of hiring a professional like you?
Sure, you’ve probably skimmed the market research. Maybe even read the results of feedback or focus groups which reveal what clients feel comfortable sharing in public.
But how often have you place yourself in their shoes? Immersed yourself in what it must be like in their position?
What do they feel when they first approach a professional if they’ve never hired one before?
Here’s a starter: dread.
Dread of looking stupid. Dread of being ripped off. Dread of bringing up the rear control. Dread of what might happen if things go terribly. Dread of what might happen if things go well.
Next time you meet with a client for the first time, reckon like a fish, not a fisherman.
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Reckon Like a Fish is a post from: Get More Clients in Less Time: Practical Strategies, Proven Results