Just wondering – when was the last time you compared your success to somebody else’s?

Maybe you have a friend or a colleague, or someone who you you’ve never even met (but whom you know quite intimately thanks to how easy social media makes it to casually stalk people) whose business or lifestyle just seems to be… everything yours isn’t.

You feel like you just don’t measure up.

They have the booming business, the perfectly instagrammed vacations, the dream clients, the steady cashflow, the sold-out in advance events/workshops/classes and here you are, feeling burned out, confused, overworked, underpaid and still wondering – “why do they have it all and HOW do they do it?”

Sounds like you’ve got a garden-variety case of Comparison-itis Syndrome.

But don’t worry, it’s totally curable.

So… what are your treatment options?

Step 1: Realise that their business is not your business.

What works for someone else will almost certainly not work for you (unless you have the same business, with the same clientele, and the same owner, in which case, you may be looking in the mirror at yourself).

Step 2: Stop doing it their way.

No copycats here. Stop trying to emulate someone else’s path to success. I know – if it works for them, shouldn’t it work for you?

No. refer back to Step 1 as required.

I learned this the hard way.

I have a fabulous friend who also happens to have a fabulous (and very successful) business in a completely different niche than mine. And I figured – if I just do it her way, talk to my clients like she does, work social media like she does, sell my products and services like she does, then it has to work for me too, right?

Nope. I was missing a fundamental piece of the private practice puzzle. I had forgotten the single most important thing about my business: my clients.

I started talking to my clients in way that didn’t make sense (but made perfect sense for my friend’s clients). And so they weren’t listening to me any more. I soon figured out that what worked for someone else’s clients would not work for mine.

So I encourage you to not only think about who you are, but who you serve and what your clients need to know and learn about you. What sort of conversation do you want to have with your clients on your website, on social media and the like? How will this complement the relationships you build in real-life?

How do your clients make decisions and gather information?

How can you make it really easy for them to draw the natural conclusion that you are the best person to speak to about their problems?

Example: Do your people prefer to get to know you before making a connection? How could you supplement this by showing more of who you are on your website, through your copy, blog or even video? Or, do your people make decisions quickly, and therefore, need to be given a fast and easy way to book a meeting with you or register for an event?

I can’t tell you the answer to that. And you won’t know until you do the research – please don’t assume!! You might be surprised by the answer if you take the time to really understand your clients, their needs, and their way of making decisions.

It’s time to figure out what works for you and your people.

Not somebody else’s.

Here’s to your success,

I’d be keen to hear – how do your people like to learn about and connect with you? Let me know in the comments below. If you’re not sure – let’s spend some time figuring this out. You can book a free 30 minute consult with me here.