by Rick Baker
On Oct 5, 2011
We say people only do 3 things: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things.
Most people don’t do too many New Things.
Most people are, as the saying goes, creatures of habit….some good, some bad.
Some people want to make some changes. If you are still reading then probably you are one of those people.
IF YOU FEEL PEOPLE ARE NOT LISTENING TO YOU…
Here are a couple of ideas
- Pre-Communicate: Pre-pave the path before you deliver the intended communication, your important communication. Don’t spring important things on people. While it is necessary to communicate crisply from time to time it often becomes a problem if people label you as a person with crisp/curt/instructional communication style. As backward as it may strike you, it is often a problem if you are seen as a person who is a fountain of new ideas or a promoter of new things.
So, people will listen better if you pre-communicate. This can range from serious sit-downs like brainstorming sessions to ‘I want to bounce an idea off you’ to chats about the family or favourite sport.
Consider your character and be natural. Some people are naturally gregarious…others are naturally introverted. If you are naturally introverted then do not view that as a limitation…it is not a limitation. It is just a difference, requiring a different approach. Introversion, if you make some small adjustments, can be the foundation for quick trust. The best key to quick trust is asking questions.
Free up time to dedicate to pre-communication…pre-paving the path for ideas…pre-paving the path for change.
- Tell Sticky Stories: Listening, if it happens at all, happens as a step in a process. The process begins with Attention, moves to Interest, and Listening follows. It is relatively easy to ‘get Attention’. You can prove that to yourself…just place yourself among some people and make a loud noise. There are many ways to ‘get Attention’. Keeping it is more challenging. To ‘keep Attention’ we must trigger Interest. The best key to triggering Interest is speaking from [and to] the heart…by telling personal stories. Sticky Stories can capture and hold Interest so long that Interest becomes Listening.
Important Point: Interest needs to survive for a period of time before Listening can begin…prior to that time people may be hearing you…but they ain’t Listening.
Interest is fickle.
- If Interest hears things like, “I’ve got a list of statistics I’d like to review with you…” then Interest leaves the room.
- If Interest hears things like, “Did you hear the one about…” then Interest might stay around for a while.
- If Interest hears things like, “WOW, did you see the…” then Interest will probably want to hear what’s said next.
We have written, talked, and taught a lot about Sticky Stories.
For samples of our work, check out our
Workshop #2and these links:
by Rick Baker
On Sep 8, 2011
Many years ago the sales people at my company were discussing buyers’ objections. The salespeople, more or less en masse, were troubled by what they perceived to be unfair treatment. Most of the sales people felt buyers were tricking them by stating false objections. In plain words – the buyers were lying to them. The buyers were saying things like “Your pricing is too high” when in fact the pricing was not too high. This annoyed my salespeople.
In an effort to help, I wrote a little piece titled ‘The Facts of Lies’.
Here is an excerpt from that piece:
“…don't be overly judgmental about people because of their lies. Everybody ‘Lies’ all the time...so, it really isn't that big of a deal. It simply ‘is’ ...‘what it is’. And, our motive - our motive - is not windfall, win-lose money, or power, or fame...etc. We just want to provide some Value to energy/environment users...make the world or at least Ontario a little bit better place for future generations...and make a few bucks as is required in commercial business.”
So, in summary:
- everyone lies
- lies are far more common than facts
- we don't judge - we observe, we listen.”
Since I wrote that note, I have learned much more about people. I now have a much better understanding around why people lie. As I blend in my new knowledge and re-think the topic of ‘lies’ I see no need to change the thrust of my advice to salespeople.
And, I offer that advice to leaders – not just salespeople.
When you realize you are biased - when you realize your filters cause you to judge others more harshly than you judge yourself – that’s an important starting place.
Next - you can be comfortable looking beyond the vast majority of those things most folks describe as 'lies'. Imagine yourself in a place where you are immune to other people’s lies. I don’t mean you are unable to see or hear the lies…I mean you can breathe other people’s lies in and you do not feel ill in any way….you can let other people’s lies get into in your ears and you don’t feel dizzy in any way….and I mean you can watch other people as they lie to you and your eyes do not squint in any way.
Imagine you are immune to other people’s lies…other people’s lies are their issue. You can observe the lies coming at you from all directions in a variety of different forms and none of the lies phase you.
You do not ‘take it personal’.
Imagine yourself in that place - that’s a good place to be.
by Rick Baker
On Aug 10, 2011
Sales Tweet #278 Knowledge can backfire. Selling has little to do with the technical things you know and/or talk about.
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Does this sound familiar? ...As time goes on, you learn more and more about the product/service you sell. Human nature being what it is you cannot resist sharing with prospects all the technical stuff you know. You are brilliant and you want to light up the prospects’ offices. As you do this, you talk too much and you listen too little. You educate the customers. They applaud. But, your Sales fall off. You are all tied up in technical know-how and forgetting how Sales are achieved.