The Client Letter
March 7, 2013
Way North of Lake Wobegon
Sunny 5 Degrees
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Back in my music days, I wasn’t exactly the world’s most disciplined when it came to practice.
We were supposed to practice 4 hours a day. Luckily I had talent, which apparently got me through. I just imagine what I would have done if I had really put in the time.
But I was too busy wanting to “get” somewhere to just sit in one place for too long and focus my attention on something truly great.
I only learned later in life that my apparent inability to just chill out and sit there for 4 hours was the sign of a person who, on the inside, was completely overwhelmed. Too much nervous energy and no idea about how to focus it.
It made SLOWING down a challenge I wasn’t prepared to overcome at the time.
I’m getting better at it. But only because I practice it. Every day, actually.
My process for “getting clients,” “getting customers,” “attracting opportunity” is probably the slowest method in the world.
There are no fireworks, no loud bangs, no amazing displays of dazzling achievement.
It takes time. But when it works, the level of trust on which that relationship is built is a very beautiful thing.
You’ve probably heard the saying about “before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water – after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”
That’s what I do. I chop wood, I carry water.
Every so often I meet upon a stranger who says something like, “Hey, I heard you are great at chopping wood and carrying water, could you help me?”
I attract through demonstration.
If you think about it, I get paid to practice. It’s magic.
But the point is that the magic isn’t found in what you do, but in how you do what you do. You can start today.
What’s your “chop wood, carry water” work? How do you demonstrate who you are and what you do on a consistent basis? What are you doing to develop that attractive force towards you?
If you’d rather attract and not chase, then “rewire” your brain by reading this and get started chopping wood and carrying water.
P.S. Yesterday Ricky Breslin and I published a new episode of Marketing Phone Calls you might find helpful.