Have you ever been in a conversation that seemed to be going well, yet you made an assumption that turned out to be false? Did you get burned? Do you wish you could go back?
Were you guilty of mind reading?
Maybe it was in a professional environment, or maybe
it was in a personal conversation with a spouse, family member, or friend.
My guess is that the majority of us have been in this situation before. Imagine if you could go back and do it over again...what would you say differently? How would the outcome be influenced?
A few weeks ago, I saw a similar situation play out while on a sales call with my partner. Once the conversation evolved to the point where we were talking dollars and cents, the CFO of the prospective company asked, “So, what is it going to cost for us to get started?”
Understand the Why behind the question
Instead of immediately answering with numbers, and potentially disrupt our chance of earning the contract, my partner simply said, “...You’ve asked me that for a reason.”
The CFO proceeded to unload the reasons why he asked that question. This gave us insight into what actual numbers and specific prerequisites he needed to see in order for us to move forward. After my partner inquired further to learn their leadership's decision-making process, we were able to leave the meeting with a clear future and timeline for what would play out next.
I chose to share this because we could’ve easily been found guilty of mind reading and lowered our price, commoditizing ourselves. Then we might have left the meeting without a clear vision of the next steps and maybe even enter their voicemail jail. Instead, we earned the client's business, inked the contract, and there is no mystification on how we will work together.
Stop defending your price
In my early sales experience, I found discussing money wasn't easy or very smooth at first. When I would get the objection, “The price seems like it's too high for us," I immediately felt like I needed to defend and justify our cost, or even lower the price to get the sale.
As a Sandler trained professional, I've learned to reply with, "Thank you for sharing, can you talk to me about why you feel that way?" This is simply to break the norm, and give them a chance to explain the meaning behind their original statement. We only want to answer the true questions we are being asked. Then we can mutually agree on what is to happen next in the process, marching on with absolute clarity.
Below are three points to help us remember how to achieve Zero Mind Reading status:
Don't make assumptions - Clarify everything!
Don't misread between the lines
Ask what the prospect means
Remember to take a moment, slow down, and ask inquisitive questions to keep ourselves from incorrectly reading the mind of whomever we’re talking to.
It's okay to try this at home
**Bonus: This principal can be applied in our personal lives with our friends, family, spouses, or even kids. When we misread between the lines and assume facts that aren’t in 100% evidence, we can create unnecessary tension. All arguments begin simply because of mismatched expectations.
This has improved my life immeasurably! I practice this daily and I still haven't mastered it yet, so why not start now? Give it a shot and maybe reach out with your story!
