Tell Me What To Do Not What Not To Do.

We have an obsession in America with telling people what not to do.  Don't smoke.  Don't pollute.  Don't eat fried food.  We do the same with our colleagues, our employees and our customers.  But telling people what not to do just isn't as effective as telling them what to do.  Or  better put - amplify the positive instead of trying to fix the negative.

Let me give you an example.  What do you think of when I tell you, "Don't eat McDonald's.  It's bad for you."

Did you think of a Big Mac?  Did you think of the amazing smell of their fries?  Or did you think of eating nuts and lettuce - the healthier option.

The fact is, our brains can't process negatives.  It's like saying to someone, "don't think of a pink elephant."  It's the first thing that pops in to your mind.  So instead of telling someone, "don't eat McDonald's because it's bad for you,"  say, "eat broccoli, it's really good for you."

Tell someone not to eat McDonald's because it's unhealthy and your imposing your dogma.  Tell someone to eat broccoli because it's healthy, and now they become accountable for their own well being.  The decision making becomes proactive instead of reactive. 

Now think about this in a business context.  We impose our dogma on people everyday.  "Choose us not our competitors."  "We're better than them.  Buy this."  When was the last time a company simple laid out what they believe about the world and how their products or services are helping to advance their cause and then said simply, "do what's right for you."

When was the last time someone squeezed you on your price and you simply replied, "if it's too expensive, then you should go with someone else."  Shifting accountability is very powerful.  And it's in accountability that people perceive value.  Don't forget, value is a perception held by the buyer, not the seller.  Value can only be perceived if the buyer is accountable for their own decision instead being pressured to do what you think is the right thing to do.  This has nothing to do with the quality of the product or the service - telling someone not to eat McDonald's because it's bad is good advice...just not as effective as telling them to eat broccoli because it's good.

So...from now on, don't tell people what not to do.

I mean...from now on, tell people what you believe and allow them to make the decision that's best for them.