Breaking A Negative Cycle

Breaking a negative cycle 

Frequently, when I am presenting the Sales Academy, I learned some of my most impactful lessons from  participants. One such lesson occurred during my final presentation of the Sales Academy in 2023. Sarah Ellis, of Birth Babes was explaining the value of her service. As a nurse, doula, and business owner, Sarah wears many hats. But in her primary role of serving her clients — women about to have babies — she is predominantly an advocate for them.

The Role Of A Doula

As I learned, often in the delivery room, the expectant mothers’ requests or preferences may be ignored by the doctors and hospital staff who often put protocol ahead of the mother’s personal desires. As a doula, Sarah speaks out for the mother’s specific requests such as if they don’t want any medical interventions, if they would like to be able to walk during labor, different delivering positions, or even the overall setting of the environment including music choices, lighting levels, and the number of people in the room. Sarah makes sure that these requests are respected and granted. This description did not bear the slightest resemblance to what I imagined a doula’s role to be.

Are You A Client Advocate?

Having a clearer picture allowed me to better understand how a doula should sell her service. It’s a matter of communicating that she is there to make sure that her client, the mother, gets exactly what she wants during the most intense and intimate experience of her life. It’s ironic that a woman would even need an advocate to speak up for her when she’s trying to deliver a baby. But that brings me to the point of this blog: People often give up what they want and settle for what a vendor is offering. Do you do that? And much more importantly, are you making your customers do that?

Sell Them What They Want...

There is great value in offering exactly what your customers want and not making them settle for what’s convenient for you to deliver. Remember that people will pay more to get a premium product or service when it’s done properly, conveniently, and enjoyably. I’m challenging you to stand up for your customers’ rights to get exactly what they want and to make sure that they can get it from you.

“A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Let me hear from you.

(This excerpt is taken from the seminar Organizational Excellence II: Combatting Complacency.) I encourage you to click here to register for the Organizational Excellence II: Combatting Complacency seminar on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at Bellomo & Associates in York, PA from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Eastern Standard Time. This seminar is also available for live streaming. 

This content is also available on demand, at Romeo Network Online Learning. Click here to learn more about our complete Organizational Excellence series.