Sagacious Think

blowing it

We live in a culture where silences is not always welcome, and sometimes we feel compelled to fill in those gaps when we would be better to bite our tongues. Sometimes these instances leave people that you are trying to influence feeling anything but positive.

Stating the Obvious - do not challenge basic assumptions by assuring people about concepts they have taken as a given.  Starting a meeting with the customers assuring them that the city will grant their permit makes them ask “why wouldn’t it?” and distracts them from the real message that you want to convey.

Undermining credibility – do not start a meeting, presentation, conference call by admitting you are ill-prepared, or not yet ready.  These comments make the other participants question why they are in the meeting, presentation, or call, and it makes anything said suspect, as now they wonder if you have all the facts.

Belaboring the point - if you have made your point do not push with additional examples, especially if delivering bad information.  The recipient will shut down, not respond and you risk loosing a potential alley.  If  you are attempting to turn an employee review and trying to point out areas of improvement, this is a very fine line.  The employee needs to understand the specific situations to be able to change their behaviors, but once they “get it” there is no need to continue as it will only make them uncomfortable and shut them down to the remainder of the conversation.

Overselling – when a customer signals they will buy, STOP discussing product features.  Its overkill and may raise issues that the customer has not thought of given them reasons to raise objections.

silence is golden

Sometimes silence really is golden!