Have you ever spent hours with someone and had no idea about the color of their shirt? I have ... and I’m embarrassed to admit that I have done this many times. It’s human nature to become so caught up in our own heads that we lose sight of everything and everyone around us. Instead of observing and absorbing our surroundings, we’re too busy thinking.
Obviously, this is not a good habit for sales professionals. It’s so obvious that I’m not going to invest any time trying to convince you that noticing the details about the human beings with whom you’re meeting – and their emotions – is one of the most critical behaviors to sales greatness. Instead, I’m going to spend my time sharing an idea with you that will help you turn your internal thinking into external observing. Here’s the idea…
After every conversation you have – whether it be with a customer, a neighbor, a barista, or a toddler – after every conversation ask yourself this question: “How are they doing?” Then, take ten seconds to answer with one of three options: great, ok, not good.
It’s that simple. Do this exercise after every interaction and within six weeks it’ll be a habit. Within six months, people will naturally open up to you because of your empathy. Within a year, your customers and prospects will be flocking to you because of the reputation you’ll have. You’ll begin to notice the unspoken things that no one else notices and you’ll be able to provide solutions to problems that your customers didn’t know they had.
Here's why this works better than most sophisticated ideas (yes, I admit that this is an unsophisticated idea).
- It’s easy - it takes ten seconds, and you have a multiple-choice question.
- The more you practice, the more you’ll be preparing to answer the question during your conversations. You’ll find yourself noticing more and more about “how they’re doing”.
- Sophisticated ideas rarely become habit. If observing and showing empathy does not become a habit, you won’t do it. Your internal default mode of rumination gets stronger every year. Only a habit can beat it.
Try it. Have fun with it. Send me an email the first time someone says something like “you’re such a great listener”.
