When I was teaching in formal education, I showed up every day with a commitment to making learning interesting and fun for my students.
For the 90 minutes they spent with me, I wanted to be the easiest answer to the question they had that day, which always was:
What's in it for me?
That's the question most people are asking most of the time.
After all, we humans are a self-interested bunch.
I did my best to deliver.
I didn't always get it right.
Be the Answer
I definitely didn't get it right recently when I sent an email to the people who had indicated their willingness to jump on a quick call with me about their answer to the survey I'd sent them.
I committed a cardinal no-no when I asked them to "please get back to me with some times for a quick chat that could work for you in the next two weeks."
Almost immediately after I hit "send," I realized my mistake.
I was asking them to work too hard.
Check their calendar?
Write down some times?
Respond to my email with those times?
Wait for me to send back a Zoom link?
Ugh.
To rectify the situation, I opened my online calendar booking system, set up some times for follow-up calls on different days, then sent the link to everyone.
Right away two people signed up.
Easy.
Make It Easy
We have to make it easy for people.
Sending a calendar link is one step.
The first email required far too many.
The last thing we want to do is create more problems for people who already have too much to think about, too many distractions, too much to keep up with.
No matter what you do, taking on an attitude of being the easiest answer to the question someone has today will serve you well.
If you are running a coaching business, for example, do you make it easy for potential clients to work with you?
Is it easy to understand what's in it for them?
Once they are working with you, do you continue to make the experience easy?
If you work for a company, do you make it easy for your colleagues to get their work done?
Being the easiest answer to the question someone has today is a deceptively simple directive.
Adopting it can radically change your business and your life.
