In this post by Certified Go-Giver Speaker/Coach and Ninja Selling Instructor, Dennis Giannetti, he takes a phrase we often use in terms of applying Go-Giver principles, “Walk In Your Value” and he provides a totally different angle. And, as is always the case with Dennis…he makes a LOT of sense.
Enjoy Dennis’ wisdom! – Bob Burg

Often, I hear sales professionals say they always seem to get the challenging, perhaps even difficult, or dare we say, “crazy” clients.
Perhaps they do. Or maybe those challenging clients are looking just for YOU!
Or, perhaps there’s even another side to this story. And, that’s what it is, a story. It’s a story we create to help us rationalize or, as Bob Burg might suggest, tell ourselves “rational lies” to excuse a lack of results in one area of our life, justifying a lack of actions in another.
The fact is, clients may come and go in our lives but first we have to invite them. Actually, first we have to provide them with the directions.
So, how do these challenging, difficult and sometimes crazy clients find us? The truth? We attract what we are. We invite those people we feel worthy to serve.
Now, understand, this doesn’t mean you don’t want clients you might feel are more qualified, easier, or respectful of your time and services. It simply means that YOU are the benchmark of these gateways and the message you’re sending isn’t attracting what you say you want.
Consequently, because you don’t get what you want, you take what you can get. You might have said or heard for example: “something is better than nothing.”
Is it?
What is the cost of doing business with people that don’t respect your time? That may not value your services?
What is the effect on your bottom line if you take excessive amounts of time with people who perhaps aren’t serious, just curious or will take your time and then do business with someone else?
Again, it isn’t that we want this, it’s that we get this. Why? Three reasons:
- We don’t know what we want. Seems silly, after all, we want ready to go, respectful and easy to get along with clients, right? But what does that look like in your industry? Where do you find them? How do you handle them once you have them?
- We don’t do what we need to do to get these clients. This can be procedural, skill-based or rooted in procrastination. In any case, we tend to avoid what we want and take whatever comes our way. Then, we complain about our results.
- We don’t Walk in Our Own Value so we attract others who often don’t recognize our value either.
At the end of the day, sometimes you have to walk AWAY in your own value. You have to:
- Walk away from the mindset that you are not worthy
- Walk away from the story and excuses that these things happen to you and OWN that you often create what you are getting.
- Walk away from those clients that you have attracted incorrectly so you can make room for those who are looking for the true value and service you can provide.
Now, this doesn’t mean don’t help people or just throw them away at the first sign of difficulty. It simply means:
“You can’t give what you don’t have.”
So, unless you set the standard; unless you walk in your own value, you will continue to attract obstacles instead of opportunities. Unless you’re willing to walk AWAY in your own value, you’ll continue to attract those who don’t value you as much as they should.
In other words, unless you realize your own worth it will be difficult for others to see it as well.
Enjoyed the post Dennis. Being clear about who you want to work with, being able to create value for those clients and being able to walk away when the first 2 don’t work. Clarity.
Dear Dennis
This is one of the best posts I have read on GoGiverWay. Express my gratitude to you. Thank you.
As a chiropractor- I have seen this principle in action over the years. Initially I got patients I considered “vampires” that didn’t respect me or my time and wanted much more than was appropriate. As I have aged and matured I find the vast majority of my patients are delightful, and the difficult ones generally still appreciate the effort I put into assisting them and are in themselves lovely. I realised a few years back I had selected the ones I liked and enjoyed working with- and they in turn referred nice people. Excellent post, I will be printing it out and popping it on the wall in my brand new practice kitchen, thank you!