What can you learn from a horse whisperer?

Are you coming from a place of compassion?

From the “it’s all connected” files: a quick run-down of a documentary Stella had the good fortune to watch yesterday.

BUCK follows the work and life of Buck Brannaman, an American cowboy who runs training clinics for horsemen across the country. Or, as he likes to say, he helps horses with people problems.

What’s remarkable, though, is the way he goes about his work. There are some valuable marketing and sales lessons in there, for folks like you and me.

The old-school method of training horses was, apparently, to “break” them. Strong arm them into understanding, in no uncertain terms, who’s the alpha.

Buck’s got a whole different approach.

In one scene, he hands the end of a rope to a rancher. Buck gently pulls on the rope, and the guy follows. “Now watch this,” Buck says, and he jerks the rope hard. The man stiffens and resists. He does it a few more times, and the same thing happens.

So by the time Buck makes like he’s going to yank again, the man braces himself. He can’t help it. That’s how the situation has been set up.

The goal, according to Buck, is to lead without pulling. To show the horse you’re not going away anytime soon. And that his old tricks won’t work on you.

What struck me was Buck’s compassion. “Horses are afraid,” he tells his students. “The way a lion kills a horse is to climb up on its back, just like you do. And wrap its claws around its neck, just like a bridle & rope does. Can you see why that might put ‘em in a fearful state?”

How does all this translate to you and me?

1) Many of the potential clients you talk with may be in a state of fear. Like a horse, they are spooked by someone approaching them, head on, with intentions that they may not fully understand. They may have been burned or disappointed by a service provider before you. What do you do to put people at ease and help them relax around you?

2) Are you avoiding “leading” altogether? You need to lead people along the path of doing business with you. Yes, this is easier said than done. But I’m willing to bet that, if this is problem for you at the moment, it isn’t that you’re too pushy or that you’re strong-arming folks… it’s that you aren’t convinced of your own role as leader. Here’s a tip: you don’t need confidence to build momentum in your business. You just need to be willing to pretend you’ve got plenty of it!

3) Are you coming from a place of compassion? The best marketing-and the best writing-makes a connection with its audience. A lot of sales writing out there is ugly because the writer bought a home study kit or book or went to someone else’s website and copied the format.

While there’s nothing wrong with this approach-in fact, I encourage you to start keeping a “swipe file” of writing and marketing that you get a kick out of, if you aren’t already-good sales writing is more than a formula.

It’s a connection.

So, approach with respect. Earn trust. And let them know you’ve anticipated their objections, and have already worked through responses. They can have what they want. You will treat them well. They just need to take you for a ride.