fbpx
AAE Logo - Orphic v2@2x

KARL GOODMAN

FOUNDER ATHLETES AUTHORITY

BUSINESS STRATEGIST

MARKETER

NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER

  • Founder of Athletes Authority
  • Marketing Maverick
  • Business Strategist
  • Newsletter Publisher

Your Customers Wish You Did This

One of the biggest lies that annihilates profits is the idea that the customer is always right.

It’s actually some of the worst advice that people just repeat without actually thinking about it.

And it explains why most businesses struggle to get ahead.

For the last couple of years, I’ve always thought of it the opposite way.

It’s up to us to tell the customer the rules.

There is a great quote to this effect, from non-other than Henry Ford.

“If we asked the customer what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse and cart.”

Customers looking for service want you to tell them what the rules are.

As Kevin Roberts said:

“Most people are walking around with their umbilical cord in their hand looking for somewhere to plug into.”

There is so much truth to that, especially in our industry where there is a great knowledge gap between us and our customers.

It doesn’t matter if you’re in weight loss, pain relief or athlete development… the rules are always the same.

Your customers are looking for an expert to tell them exactly what to do and how to achieve it.

They’re looking for an authority figure to take charge.

Think about it… if they wanted to do it themselves, they would.

If they wanted to be their own guinea pig, they would.

But they don’t, because they’ve reached out to you… so it’s now up to you to take on the responsibility and be the authority figure. Like the stern parent that is firm but fair.

Your customers want to deal with successful people.

Successful people dictate the terms of how they do business.

They don’t negotiate and they don’t split the difference.

It’s why my first recommendation to my mentees is to decide on what’s an optimal commitment to achieve the result… and then draw a line in the sand and never go back from that.

It’s also why I recommend when coordinating sales calls, to never make yourself too available.

Or why I never let them negotiate on price.

This takes confidence and restraint, but, it is a sure-fire way of getting better results for your clients and, for your business.

If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself.

Take a stroll down the main road and tell me which restaurant you think is more successful.

The one where there is a worker at the door waving at you desperately to come inside?

Or the one with a line of hungry customers outside the entrance dying for an opportunity to get a seat?

Exactly.

Let me repeat for good measure.

People prefer to deal with successful people and generally speaking, the more successful you are, the more people want to deal with you.

It’s common sense but we seem to forget it in practice.

I got reminded of this while listening to the Strength Culture podcast this morning. Lachy was getting interviewed by the boys and they seemed to be genuinely shocked at our 12-month training commitments with our athletes…

“Do you get a lot of pushback?”

Well, no, not really. We tell them it’s a partnership and we need their commitment if we’re going to get the result and they seem to get it.

If we had taken the moronic advice that the customer is always right, we’d have no agreement at all because in the customer’s eyes, flexibility is convenient.

But that’s my point.

We don’t ask the customers because they’re not always right.

Because you and I both know that the best results come through discipline, commitment and perseverance.

There are no magic bullets and if you want remarkable results, you’ll need to make a remarkable commitment.

It’s not rocket science, but we seem to lose our marbles when it comes to running a successful business.

Despite our expert status, we cower like scared puppies at the mere thought of telling a customer they’re wrong.

It takes guts to be a leader for your customers.

But in the long run, they’ll thank you for it.

– Karl Goodman

Don’t Stop Here

More To Read

The Good Man’s Paradox

I watched Equaliser 3 last night. It is every bit as good as its predecessors. There were many memorable moments, but one in particular struck

The Goodwill Economy

I have a prediction for 2024. And it’s a complete backflip from what I would have said just a few years ago if you’d asked

Rich Men North of Richmond

It’s crazy how quickly things can go viral when a message really taps into the conversation that the market is already having inside its head.

SPR CONDITIONING GYM

237 Elizabeth Street, Hobart
TAS 7000
+61 407 757 394

CLub Lime

Level 1, Gungahlin Square, 43 Hibberson St, Gungahlin ACT 2912
+61 261 230 666
 

 

Lift3 Gym and Physiotherapy

D/2 Reliance Dr, Tuggerah NSW 2259
+61 413 614 322
 

PEAQ Conditioning Coaching

1/10 Endeavour Dr, Port Adelaide SA 5015
+61 421 668 773
 

FSC Wembley

56 Grantham St, Wembley WA 6014
+61 439 296 427

FSC Wembley

56 Grantham St, Wembly WA 6014
+61 439 296 427
 
 

Bodyseek Personal Training

6/92-100 Champion Rd, Williamstown VIC 3016
+61 3 9078 3005
 

Woodford Sport Science Consulting (WSSC)

97 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin VIC 3189
+61 3 9532 6132
 

Elite Performance Gym

17 Neumann Rd, Capalaba QLD 4157
+61 7 3823 5676
 

Athletes Authority

16 Dickson Ave, Artarmon NSW 2064
+61 1300 936 563

Application details

*We’ll use your email address to send you our course guide. It’s a detailed explanation of everything you can expect from the course

Lachlan Wilmot

DIRECTOR OF COACHING & PERFORMANCE

Qualifications:

  • Bachelors of Exercise and Sport Science
  • Honors in Rate of Force Development in Team Sport Athletes

Lachlan began his professional sports coaching career as the second ever employee at the GWS Giants in 2010-11 season prior to entering the AFL in 2012. Over 7 seasons, Lachlan grew a team of talented young men into back-to-back preliminary finals contenders. As the head of strength and power, his role was to turn teenagers into physically dominant men, developing their strength, power, speed and most importantly, their resistance to injury.

In 2018, Lachlan’s success afforded him the opportunity to shift codes, having been offered the role of High Performance Manager for the NRL’s Parramatta Eels.

In as little as one rebuild season, he had taken the wooden spooners of 2018 to the finals in 2019, where they inflicted the greatest defeat of the Brisbane Broncos in NRL history. By 2019, it was time for Lachlan to go ‘all-in’ on his other baby, Athletes Authority.

Now, Lachlan leads the performance program, designing the programs for all the athletes here. He works closely with the sports medicine team, just like he did in pro sport, to help athletes achieve more and reach new heights with their athletic careers.

Karl Goodman

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Karl began his career in coaching as a Personal Trainer back in 2007. After competing for NSW as a Baseballer, and then competing at an elite standard as a cyclist throughout university,  Karl received the opportunity to work with Gordon Rugby in the Shute Shield competition. From there, he found a way to marry his passion in sports and competition with coaching; selling his investment property to start Athletes Authority in early 2016.

Starting from humble beginnings, the facility vision was taken to another level when Lachlan and Karl partnered up in 2017 and Athletes Authority was incorporated. It was no longer just a gym training athletes; Athletes Authority was committed to becoming a brand athletes worldwide could rely on for quality coaching, advice and service.