IT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

This is not about Waldo ?

I was recently having a conversation with a successful sales person. In my pursuit to better myself and learn something new every day, I asked him what he believed made a sales person successful. His response was “Meet the customer where they are. I mean mentally and emotionally, meet them where they are.”

Being someone who values relationships, this makes perfect sense to me.  Meeting the customer where they are does not mean mirroring the person, though that is also a sales technique. To me, it is more about being empathetic. Ultimately, it’s about understanding the other person.

The implications of this go beyond professional relationships. Meeting people where they are is also applicable in our personal lives. Relationships with significant others, friends, family, kids…can you imagine how much better off we would be if we took the time to try to understand where people are? I’ll admit to not taking the time to do so on occasion.

I have been guilty of communicating too quickly without taking a moment to make sure my message was received and understood. Occasionally my point was not understood, leaving me frustrated. If I had only taken a couple of extra minutes to explain or ask questions to ensure my message was crystal clear, I could have avoided the frustration and gotten my point across more effectively. This also goes the other way, when someone asks something of me and I don’t verify what I have heard or what was requested, it can sometimes go sideways.

Try and meet someone where they are this weekend, you might come out of a conversation with a better understanding than you would have otherwise.

“You get nothing done if you don’t listen to each other.” – Barbara Bush

Have a great weekend.

Vijay