Know What Game You're Playing
Mindset Monday
Takeaway: You are often playing a different game than your peers. Understand what game you’re playing to understand how to win.
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The world’s best car salesman, Joe Girard, once said the secret to his success was to always think about the next sale. With a potential customer in front of them, most salespeople would focus on closing that sale at any cost. Joe wouldn’t do that.
Other salespeople, in an effort to do anything to get the sale, would often violate the trust of the customer. They’d be aggressive or manipulative. Instead, Joe would take good care of the customers. He had great customer service skills.
As a result, they’d refer their friends and family. They’d come back to see Joe when it was time to get a new car, or if they needed a second car. Joe thought long-term, while his colleagues were often stuck with short-sighted views.
Joe was playing a different game.
My Instagram presence isn’t anything to write home about. I’ve got about a thousand followers. Many of my colleagues have 10k-20k+ followers. By social media standards, my profile has very little value.
Except that growing a large following isn’t the game I’m playing.
If I were trying to build a large following to generate new business, then I’d need some serious help. But over 90% of new clients hear about me through an existing client. Once these referrals hear about me, they visit my social media to see what I’m all about.
That is the game I’m playing on social media.
I’ve optimized my profile to showcase who I am and how I coach. It’s purposefully laid out and exudes professionalism. Scrolling through my posts highlights how I think and what to expect from my personality.
My profile is not optimized to gain attention from strangers. It’s optimized to draw people in who are already curious about what I do.
And it works.
Often, when talking with potential new clients, they comment about posts that resonated with them on my social media pages. It helps reinforce their decision to work with me.
Even when colleagues and friends note the small following I have, it becomes clear that they don’t realize the game I’m playing is different than theirs.
And I’m winning my game.
This principle applies to your fitness journey, too.
Improving your health and feeling confident in your body leads to a different experience in life.
Many friends and family members won’t understand that experience. When you’re out and being conscious of your food choices, they will often question how you behave.
But you are playing a different game.
Their criticisms don’t actually mean anything because they mistakenly believe you’re playing the same game.
But you aren’t.
It’s always important to understand what game you’re playing.
What is the outcome or benefit you are trying to achieve?
Then, what is your strategy to optimize for achieving that goal?
Knowing the answers to these two questions can help you figure out your game. Then, and this part is very important, you have to ignore what other people are doing.
Because often you’ll find that you aren’t playing the same game.
~ Coach Alex