My No. 1 Customer Fail and How I Fixed It

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After 30 years as an adviser, speaker, author and coach, I often reflect on where I fail my current and potential customers.

It starts with getting over my reluctance to tell potential clients exactly what I can do for them. Yet this is exactly what Jesus did!

Jesus the Explainer

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to preserve those who mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified (Isa. 61:1-3).

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After His infilling of power in the river Jordan and His 40 days of preparation in the desert, the first thing Jesus is recorded doing is walking into a synagogue and declaring He is the one to deliver all the above. He specifically laid out what He is capable of doing, and the through the next three years of his life, He did it.

Self-Promotion Versus Client Impact

This is something I've mightily struggled with over my many years as a professional speaker, author and adviser: the psychological and spiritual tension between sounding like a pretentious, egotistical, self-promoting braggart against the need to get new business through differentiation from my competitors.

I first learned how to deal with this from my first business mentor, Dr. Nido Qubein. Dr. Nido is without question considered one of the most successful speakers and consultants in the world. He would so graciously coach into me (actually drill into me since I was so reluctant), that:

"We do our audiences a great disservice when we DO NOT tell them what we can do for them." —Dr. Nido Qubein

This is exactly what Dr. Steve Greene did for me during his recent speaking tour in Pensacola during his Spirit-Led Marketing seminars. He taught that it is imperative to clearly and often tell our potential and current clients what we can do for them and what impact we can make in their lives. (Click here to go to the Marketplace Mondays Facebook group page for videos of both Session No. 1 and Session No. 2 of Spirit-Led Marketing.)

Please Forgive Me

Therefore, I ask your forgiveness (I mean it) for my consistent reluctance to tell you what I can do for you. As many of you who work with me know, I am often characterized by under-promoting myself to avoid sounding egocentric.

So here goes.

For all faith-based business owners, start-up entrepreneurs, consultants, speakers and pastors, here is a very short summary list of just a few things I can do for you.

  • To teach you how to get closer to Holy Spirit in your life and business, click here to learn more about Our Unfair Advantage: Unleash the Power of Holy Spirit in Your Business.
  • To help you uncover your supernatural leadership gifts, click here to get a free copy of my Anointed to Lead Survey.
  • To encourage and educate those of you who need to remain covert in your kingdom impact (subtle yet available), click here to learn more about The Impacter: A Parable on Transformational Leadership that teaches the four vital virtues of how Christians can impact their companies and communities without quoting one Bible verse!
  • To guide you into a powerful daily prayer system for business prosperity, click here to learn more about 31 Power Prayers for Your Business.
  • To crystallize your company's 3-year strategic plan in a simple, one-page overview, click here to learn more about receiving a free copy of my scorecard.
  • To start a conversation on how I can walk alongside you as an adviser, spiritual mentor or professional coach, click here to download my Inner Circle background information application.

Learn Anything? Want More?

I pray this blatantly simple blog spurs you into deeper prayer over how best to tell your story to your clients with dignity, honor and character without bragging, false self-promotion or over-promising.

Comment below, please, to share what you have learned for this post and what you are going to do.

Also comment below please if you would like more blogs or Facebook posts on this topic.

Dr. Jim Harris is an executive coach, adviser and author of 14 award-winning business books. Download his FREE "31 Power Prayers to Prosper Your Business." Connect with Dr. Jim on Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter.

This article originally appeared at drjimharris.com.

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