| It was 5pm that day at a restaurant, the waiter walked in to ask what we wanted to have, me and two other friends…(and something incredible happened on the spot). My friends were first to go with their ‘commands ‘”Bobolo and toothpaste” or whatever meal they were having🙄 The waiter writes it down and then turns to me with a look as if to say “what are you having sir?”” Just a drink” , I replied as I had just eaten less than an hour before. But I felt he didn’t believe me. I’ll call him Steve. “Are you sure?” Steve asked several times looking curiously into my eyes as if to suggest “you can tell me if the problem is the cost”. It was a small classic spot where they sell decent African meals. I could tell he genuinely thought I was trying to cut cost at that point. One of those times where the more you tried to explain the more you had no explanation to give. How do you convince a waiter you walked into a restaurant with all that flavor flying in the air and plates clattering in your ears–just for a common drink? I didn’t want to order food I wouldn’t finish so I stood my ground…”I’ll share a plate with my friend’’ was the better excuse I gave Steve for him to leave and prepare our order, you won’t believe Steve did something really profound that got me and my friends talking the entire time we sat there👇After serving my two friends, Steve served a third plate, brought to our table with more cutleries, tapped me gently on the back and said “that’s for you sir… “I honestly didn’t know how to react and though I wasn’t hungry, I can’t even explain what that gesture meant (For the records, I still didn’t touch the food but we wrapped it to take home–my mom used to squeeze our ears like she’s tuning a radio whenever we waisted food… so I could see her sitting there with her hands really close to my ears the entire time😅). But follow me my friend. The entire time we spent there, we kept talking about Steve’s gesture and when we went to pay our bills, we paid a little more, plus, my friends and I made the commitment to always return because we had been treated with such grace. You see , this isn’t just about Steve and his sweet food…There’s a solid framework we always use in sales and prospecting which is probably the most solid way to get a client…1. When you identify a prospective client 2. Reach out and offer some free value (which places you as the expert in that domain) 3. Go in for a subtle sale. Sometimes right after your help, the prospect needs help with something else and guess who they’d run back to? Youuuuu! And this could be interpreted to almost every aspect of your personal life. It’s called thinking long-term. The reality is that as we keep going back to this restaurant, Steve’s gesture will produce waaay more money for the restaurant than the cost of the one meal he gave out. Plus, rest assured I’m not gonna go back alone, my entire village must meet that Steve boy, train yourself to think about the long-term effect of everything you do and apply this to all aspects of your lifeWhat is the long-term effect of eating unhealthy? You’ll get sick. What is the long-term effect of eating well? You’ll be healthy. What is the long-term effect of reading books? You’ll become way smarter, and more ready to win in certain situations. What is the long-term effect of not working on your current issue? They will remain and your life will continue in circles. Every decision has a cost, and there is the long-term effect of every action we take. You learn from someone today, and you grow quicker the next day (because you take their years of trial and error and compress into your journey)If you put off your action today, it’s only going to take you longer. We’re all going somewhere. Choose where you want to be and get to work on making that happen.Always think long-term. Long-term focus wins.Short-term thinkers focus on the now, with little regard for the future. They make decisions and take action for the moment. But ‘long-termers’ are always visualizing what’s next and how this will change the game in future…They’re thinking of the life-lasting repercussions of everything they do and how that supports the big goal. So this week my Smart Friend, long long long!What are you working on?It might not look like it now. Or maybe no one is noticing it as you expected. But I ask you, what will all these mean to you in future if you keep showing up for yourself and putting your best foot forward. PS: I’ve been working on something really exciting for all my Smart Friends. My ancestors will call me out if I don’t do this. I can only hope that when this launches, it brings so much happiness to you next month. Keep anticipating and start saving up to buy me a meal only from that same Steve Arrey Bate Internet Entrepreneur | Author | Journalist Speak soon and please SHARE THIS MESSAGE WITH SOMEONE on social media (then Join The Facebook Group Here |
