Released On 19th Mar 2021
Can you walk the talk?
It's an interesting thing that this is a phrase that I first noticed when reviewing a potential clients website and social platforms. In the last 2 weeks I have noticed it in more and more places. Why is this? Well (geek time) it's all to do with how our brains are wired to recognise things and how our memories work. We have all heard the claims 'you need to do it 30 times to make it a habit' or 'it takes 6/8/12 times of seeing something to get a customer to buy it.' These generalise a trait we all have to help sales and marketers apply a general set of rules.
But that to one side, what about the question itself? Can you walk the talk? What does that mean? It is, of course, alluding to the fact that a lot of people are very good at saying they can do something, or will do something (don't ask about diets!) but are less good at actually putting those intentions into actions.
As a Business and Marketing Consultant, this is an issue I face daily. "Jo, I have a plan......" or "Yes, that sounds great but....." Many of my customers have the best intentions and really want to change their businesses for the better, but are unable to get beyond the words and reach the doing part of it all. Why is that, I wonder?
For a long time now I have been having an ongoing conversation with a solicitor-friend of mine about this very thing. We believe that there is a huge number of business owners who are brilliant at their job, love their job in fact, but who struggle with how best to run their companies. This, in our combined experience, has led to us both meeting and working with brilliant people struggling unnecessarily. Thankfully, my involvement comes at a stage where there's a chance to change and improve processes, promotions and training, and I get to work with people who are excited about a brighter future and committed to making things better. My solicitor-friend though is often not so lucky and gets involved when things are often at crisis point and, unfortunately, exit strategies are needed.
So, again I ask, 'Can you walk the talk?' No? Well that is OK, we are not all designed to do, or excited by, the same things. I love working with people, business owners, who are passionate about their product, their people, their customers. These are the people I can help. The ones who want to do things better but understand that they might not have all the answers. The people who know that with help they can avoid talking to my dear friend the solicitor at the end of the road.
If you are passionate about your business, you will most likely have a plan (probably in your head) that you want to realise. This is where I, and my friend, come in. He will ensure you have everything in place to protect your business, trademarks, policies, insurances - all the legal bits that make sure you are protected in the future. And I get to work with you, happily planning and driving your plans forward to get the maximum out of your ideas and skills. I will bring the structure and knowledge of how to run your business, the ideas, the plan and the execution so that you can get on with loving what you do best.
Being able to 'Walk the Talk' is not about doing it all yourself, it is about going on that journey with experts by your side. A bit like having a PT if you're training for a marathon. First you need the right gear (solicitor), then you need the training plan (me) and someone to come alongside you and help you when it gets tough, or just to keep you moving forward (again me).
It's not about not being able to do it yourself, many can, but it is about recognising that you don't have to, and that there are experts out there waiting to help you not just 'walk the talk' but possibly 'Run and get it done!'