STRATEGIC NARRATIVE INSIGHTS 

In Praise of Customer Dating

Reminder: please join the live recording session of my course, Intentional Service Offerings: Technics to focus, structure, and launch thoughtful professional services this Wednesday, February 22nd at 9:00 am PST. Sign up here. Free to attend/Recording for sale ($100) after the session. Watch my intro video here and grab your seat here!



Now, on to today’s article…



Innovating is a vital aspect of any successful business.



However, are you doing it for the right reasons?



It's all too easy to get caught up in the fight to compete aggressively to get our clients to adopt our products.



But this approach can cause us to lose sight of what matters to our client and our organization.



To innovate, instead of fighting, let’s start dating.



Just like in a relationship, we need to focus on understanding who we want to be with – in our context, who we want to work with.



By prioritizing understanding, we keep our focus on what truly matters to our clients and our organization rather than simply trying to outcompete others in our market category.



When we take the time to date our clients instead of fighting our competitors, we create a relationship based on understanding and nourishment. We make people feel heard, valued, and appreciated, which creates a strong bond that goes beyond just buying a product.



Then, as I mentioned before, you should never stop the courtship.



Customer dating keeps competitors at a distance, a goal best reached indirectly.

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