Assumptions - How Accurate Are Yours?
How many times a day do we assume?
How often do we verify the accuracy of our
assumptions?
Listed below are examples of common assumptions:
~ You already know that your customer can't afford to buy what
you're selling - so, why bother.
~ You know without asking that the person you're talking to is
the only one making the buying decisions - so, why
qualify?
~ You know that your boss is mad at you by the way he is acting
- so, you avoid him/her hoping it will all go away.
~ You know that you're never going to get that promotion -
so, why try?
~ You know your significant other so well you don't need
to ask him/her what's wrong when they seem bothered.
Its human nature to assume. Each and every one of us engage in a
number of assumptions daily. Then we hold our assumptions to be
'accurate' and conduct ourselves according to our 'assumed
beliefs.' Think about the impact of that. What if our
assumptions are wrong?
How many Sales have you missed or lost because you
assumed you knew something? How do you 'benchmark' the accuracy
of your assumptions? Wouldn't it be important to know if they
are accurate?
What if:
~ You spent the next 24 hours evaluating your assumptions?
~ You applied dogged determination to know for sure if your
assumptions were accurate?
~ You found out during that time that some or most of your
assumptions were wrong?
To exemplify this thought - what if your assumptions have
been wrong over and over again on the same issues until your
assumptions formed an "unbreakable belief system."
~ You assume you know what the customer wants - do
you? How do you know? Or, are you just assuming?
~ You assume the customer can't afford what you're selling.
How do you know? Did you ask or assume?
~ You assume you'll never get that promotion. How do you
know if you haven't even tried? And, if you tried and
didn't get the promotion, at least you will know what to do
differently to get the next one.
~ You assume that your significant other just had a bad day at
work. How do you know, did you take the time to
ask?
~ You assume you know what motivates your current cusomters to
buy but you haven't made the sale. Why? Maybe your
asssumptions are wrong.
I'm sure you've heard this statement before but if you haven't
you need to:
ASSUME NOTHING
When you assume nothing you ask lots of questions; When you ask
questions you get responses; When you get responses you qualify
for accuracy; When you qualify for accuracy you're better
prepared to understand your customer; When you truly understand
your customer the better your chances of making and keeping the
sale; - And if you don't make the sale, at least you'll know for
sure why you didn't.
Stop assuming and start asking! You'll be amazed by the
results.