18 Sep Teach Others How to Use You

Shortly after starting my consulting firm, one of my close friends made a confession. “I’m jealous,” she revealed. “You’re working with all of these great companies and nobody has approached me about working together. I’m happy for you, but I can’t help but feel a little resentful about it.” I laughed.

“But you already have a job and you’ve never even once offered consulting services,” I pointed out. “You don’t even have a page on your site that gives people the opportunity to work with you. Why would you think anyone would approach you to do something you’ve never positioned yourself to do?” She smiled. “I guess you’re right.”

Sometimes we think the world knows us much better than it actually does. But most people are too busy trying to keep up with their own hectic lives to consider the complexity of yours.

Even if you publish your own personal 24-hour newsfeed on Facebook or Twitter, even if you drop hints and clues in your everyday life, even if you put it on your creepy vision board, the majority of people are just not listening closely enough to come up with their own conclusions. Sure, they might know a little about who you are and what you do, but they certainly aren’t privy to all of your needs, wants, and desires, unless of course you choose to share that information.

At the end of the day, it’s your responsibility to teach people how to use you. It’s your job to tell us who you are and what you need.

This lesson is so important not only for entrepreneurs, but for employees as well. If you’re looking to try something new in your organization you simply cannot afford to rely solely on assumptions. While you may think you’re being clear, chances are you’re getting lost in the shuffle. You may not always get what you want, but you definitely won’t get it if you don’t speak up.

Oh, and by the way, the friend who was jealous of my practice ended up building a consulting business of her own. Today she has more clients than I do. Now who’s the jealous one?