Helping people and companies choose the right insurance and benefits packages has always involved providing direction through a complex range of options. And if you can help people think clearly and feel confident throughout difficult and challenging periods, you can really strengthen your relationship with them, and you can both come out better for it.
So here are some mental focus points I give to my clients when they and their clientele are going through periods of disruptive change. These eight guidelines will help you renew your sense of direction, confidence, and capability — and in turn provide these advantages to those who rely on you:
1. Forget about yourself, and focus on others
Uncertainty can drive people into themselves, making them feel isolated and helpless. The best strategy here is to go in the opposite direction, expanding your connection with others and focusing on helping them transform their negatives into positives.
2. Forget about your commodity, and focus on your relationships
In uncertain times, people become frightened about the viability of their “commodities.” Take the focus away from what you’re selling and direct it toward strengthening your relationships, which will actually increase the attractiveness of your commodity.
3. Forget about the sale, and focus on creating value
Most people don’t like being sold to at the best of times. But people always want value creation. When you focus on providing solutions, the sales naturally follow.
4. Forget about your losses, and focus on your opportunities
Things you had and maybe took for granted sometimes disappear. When this happens, start an entirely new game using new ideas, energies, tools, and resources.
5. Forget about your difficulties, and focus on your progress
As change occurs, things may not be as easy as they once were. Treat periods of challenge as a time when you can make great progress as a human being.
6. Forget about events, and focus on your responses
The most consistently successful people in the world know they can’t control events, yet continually work toward greater control over their creative responses to them.
7. Forget about what’s missing, and focus on what’s available
When things change, you might not have access to all the resources you wish you had to deal with the situation. Take advantage of every resource that's immediately available, and achieve as many small results and make as much daily progress as possible.
8. Forget about your complaints, and focus on your gratitude
When times get tough, everyone has to make a fundamental decision: complain or be grateful. Gratitude creates the opportunity for the best thinking, actions, and results to emerge.
Dan Sullivan is the founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc., with more than 40 years of coaching experience to some of the country’s top entrepreneurs, and the author of more than 30 publications, including ‘How To Get To The Top And Stay There.’ Along with his wife and business partner Babs Smith, Strategic Coach has offices in Toronto, Chicago and in the United Kingdom.
