Thumb Rule For Winning Clients: Never Get Between Them And Where They Want To Go

“Kin yew move back from the wahled life?” said a voice from behind. I looked up from my camera and turned to see a young, red-headed park ranger about ten feet behind me, calmly herding my wife and kids into a small circle around him.

I joined them to hear the ranger explain, in his thick Virginia accent, that we were too close to the elk, which felt unfair because we were standing on the road. We had not meandered off-trail, chased the beasts for a selfie, or tried to ride bareback through the valley like elven kings of Mirkwood.

He instructed my children to “hol’ out yer thumbs now” at arm’s length and line them up with the nearest animal.

If the deer, elk, moose, or bighorn sheep disappeared behind their thumbs, they were at a safe distance. If not, we were too close to the “wahled” animals—and likely to be featured on the 6 o’clock news in the worst possible way.

After the light reprimand, we returned to the Subaru, thumbs out before us, to continue our exploration into Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Thumb-Rule for Business Development

Treat your potential clients like “wahled” animals with respect for their direction and momentum.

Here’s the thumb‑rule: Never get between a client and where they want to go.

If the client is moving in the direction of a signed contract, get out of the way. When they ask for a proposal, a contract, or a follow-up meeting so they can invite Denny from IT, say “yes” and stop talking. Don’t tell them how great your service is, how wonderful you are, or what a great decision they’re making. They’re already heading in the right direction. Continuing to pitch is like jumping in front of a moving elk and waving your arms. They’re likely to change direction.

If they’re turning away from an engagement, let them go. Don’t try and win them back with a heartfelt plea, a reduced price, or a different feature/benefit. You’ll come across as desperate—remember, “Desperation repels. Confidence sells.”—and spook them like an elk running off into the woods.

Instead, take the posture of confidence, as if you’ll be fine whether they become a client or not. (Even if you don’t quite feel that way inside.)

You should use language that clarifies what you’re feeling:

• I’m getting the sense this isn’t a good fit. Do you feel that way too?
• We’re not for everyone. Our method works best when A, B, and C.
• If this doesn’t make sense, we shouldn’t go any further.

Maybe they’ll walk away. In that case, it wasn’t a good fit in the first place.

Or maybe they’ll come back around and tell you why they’re hesitating. Then you’ve got new information to advance the conversation.