Clients First: The Two Word Miracle

Making It Real

If you speak your commitment, if you tell others of your intention to put Clients First, you will find that your words strengthen your commitment. If you say nothing, your commitment begins to wither like a flower without water.

JoAnn and I spoke that morning to our small two-person staff about our experience the night before, and it was like a one-two punch—bam that night and bam that morning. Speaking our commitment to Clients First made it real.

Weight Watchers made a fortune on this one thing: If you diet and speak your commitment to others once a week, then you will lose weight. Alcoholics go to meetings to speak their commitment to another day without drink. Corporations have their retreats so they can speak their commitments to the company’s goals.

This is the next step, and you must take it. If you do not speak your commitment, you will allow yourself to wander off the path, where you may stumble and fall. Not speaking your commitment to Clients First is like asking yourself to be superhuman, because the energy required will be tenfold. Committing is hard enough as it is. Speaking your commitment gives you strength.

Speaking your commitment will make it stronger. Each time you tell someone that it is your goal to put your clients first, they will think more highly of you and you will think more highly of yourself.

JoAnn and I say it all the time. We’ve come up with dozens of variations. We say to the client, “What we want is whatever is best for you.” We ...