Does your Post-Consumer business have a lifestyle coach for your clients?

If 70% of our economy is based on consumer products (and I think food, shelter and clothing are included in that category) then we are going to continue to buy plenty of stuff, it's just going to be a different kind of stuff.

BEA says personal wage earnings are up, those results must come from some world I can't see. If 500,000 people lost their jobs last month and there have been no new jobs in a year, where is the wage growth coming from? Maybe those pesky banker's bonuses have driven up the earnings in gross dollars.

If the incomes of U.S. citizens and residents are down 20% or more (not counting the losses in your savings and real estate), it follows that we will be spending 20% less. We will continue to spend on what we deem to be "essential" to a rational modern lifestyle. We haven't completely made up our minds about what defines a rational modern lifestyle, but we will.

I am sure that only a very select group of Americans are reading the Robb Report (The global luxury source)  to define rational modern lifestyle. But power to those who have more money than sense. (Until the revolution, and don't think it's not coming, history tells us otherwise. Just pray that it is peaceful)

I digress, so let's move on to the central theme of this posting.

I choose to define post-consumerism products/services as something necessary to carry on a rational modern lifestyle, they are not necessarily product  made from recycled materials or a "green service". (Although that is a good idea).If you are selling a post-consumer product or service what added value can propose to your potential buyers
 
How about a Post-Consumer lifestyle coach for your clients?

If your product and service sales force doesn't include lifestyle coaching services, it ought to. Potential post consumerists number over 300 Million in the U.S. alone. Many of us are casting about for someone to show us how to reset our lives and live rationally without moving into a cave and eating raw roots and tubers.

So here goes, five good reasons for adding a post-consumerism lifestyle coach to your small business retinue.

1. It's a about being positive and upbeat. Hey, we can help. use our product to live better!
2. It's about moving forward and not being left behind waiting for things to return to normal. Frugality is the new normal!
3. It's about being rational. If your product or service can lead to a more sustainable world, then go for it.
4. It can satisfy your need to do good while getting rich! I never worried about making money as long as my products and services helped others to live better.
5. It's about the money. Extracting a little extra from happy clients is what capitalism should be about.

Think I'm crazy? The other day I was talking to Bill Inglis of Inglis Homes LLC in Phoenix. The core values of Bill's company are sustainability, renewability, responsibility, and affordability. (Sounds post-consumeristic to me). When I suggested a lifestyle coach as part of his services, he laughed and said that he had just added one to his service consultancy. http://www.inglishomesllc.com/

PS Dubai has asked the banks to delay repayment of $60 Billion of their debt, so don't say the world hasn't changed!