One of my clients has spent months and lots of money on creating a new product to sell to his target market.  It was decided that a guest event would be the ideal way to launch the product.  Invitations were carefully crafted and sent to a large segmented base of potential clients.  Phone calls were made, reservations for the event were noted and then carefully followed up to make sure that attendees were coming.  This event was going to be great!

Except that it wasn’t.

One person showed up.  Yes, that was it…one, lone person showed up.  To say that the event was a no go is an understatement.

Think about it.  What would your reaction be to this huge disappointment?  Tears?  Anger?  Despondency?  Regret?  Yes, me too.  However, this is what happened instead and the reaction became a lesson in resiliency.

This client led the event to the one person audience.  And then this is what he told me afterward.  I learned so much about what I was doing wrong.  I now know how to fix my presentation and will do that.  It was so empowering.  I am very excited about the value that I have created and now know how to relate it to more people.

We then spent the rest of our session planning for the new event and adjusting how to promote it so that it could have the maximum appeal to the target market.

You see he didn’t give up or waste his time on being despondent and victim of the circumstances.  He believes in himself and the new product so much that he couldn’t waste time feeling sorry for himself.  This person is very intentional, purposeful and focused on the end result.  I have no doubt that the next event will be well attended and be what he intends for it to be, something to make a difference in his clients lives.

When something goes wrong and you claim responsibility for it, something powerful and magical happens.

Photo courtesy of graur razvan ionut, FreeDigitalPhotos.net