Advocate
"I Tell Others"
Deep dive into The Advocate Stage of The Value Path: Understanding how people share their positive experiences with others.
~3 minute deep dive into the Advocate stage
What's Really Happening
The Advocate stage represents the natural evolution from personal value realization to authentic sharing within genuine spheres of influence. People are thinking, "This has been so valuable that I feel compelled to share it with others who trust my judgment." Critically, this sharing begins internally—advocating within their own organization before extending to external networks.
Advocates need sharing enablement and peer connection opportunities, not marketing exploitation—they're naturally motivated to help others but need support to share effectively within their authentic influence circles.
Quick Recognition
What They Think
- "Other people should know about this approach because it has genuinely transformed our results"
- "I want to help others avoid the struggles we had before implementing this"
What They Feel
- Genuine enthusiasm for sharing success balanced with desire to help authentically
- Pride in being associated with innovative approaches that deliver real value
What They Do
- Voluntarily share success stories with peers and internal networks first
- Participate in mentoring and knowledge sharing within their organizations
What Works and What Doesn't
🚩 Red Flags
- Marketing Exploitation: Pressuring advocates to participate in promotional activities
- External-First Requests: Asking for public testimonials before supporting internal sharing
- Artificial Incentives: Referral programs that compromise authentic motivation
- Generic Sharing Tools: Templated content instead of personalized enablement
✅ Green Flags
- Internal Sharing Support: Resources enabling effective sharing within organizations
- Peer Connection Opportunities: Forums where advocates can connect and share
- Personalized Enablement: Helping articulate experience for specific audiences
- Authentic Story Development: Supporting documentation of genuine transformation
The Value Path Approach
- → Create Conditions for Internal Sharing Success: Provide comprehensive sharing enablement resources for sharing within organizations.
- → Develop Peer Connection Platforms: Help Advocates connect with others who have similar experiences.
- → Enable Authentic Story Development: Help articulate transformation in ways that resonate with their audiences.
- → Recognize Authentic Champion Readiness: Watch for industry influence development and methodology advancement interest.
Progression Trigger
The shift from "I want to help others achieve similar results" to "This approach should be standard in our industry, and we can help advance the methodology for everyone's benefit."