Put the needs of others ahead of yours

​Recently I heard a story about two Covid-positive patients who came to our small hospital in Truckee, CA, wanted to be treated, but refused to wear masks. Both gentlemen were in the elder high risk group and from out of town. Apparently, they told the hospital that they had no right to make them wear masks. One of them threatened to sue the hospital if they reported him to the Department of Public Health for refusing to wear a mask in public, let alone in the hospital. Both were denied treatment.

A very unfortunate, yet classic case of individuals who were so absorbed in their own needs that they were not willing to first address the needs of others to get what they wanted, i.e. treatment.

Most of us have encountered some version of these individuals before.

I am confident that many of you have met these types of people in the professional world, as well. The ones who are so focused on selling you their service or product before understanding what you really need.

The urge to first impress and persuade before listening and learning is a common mistake many of us can make.

I get it. You can become excited when you have a prospective client who expresses initial interest. You want to “wow” them with your expertise and experience before understanding what they need and how exactly you can help them.

Here are a few tips on how to avoid falling into that trap.

1. Switch the sales pitch into an interview. In other words, talk to your prospective buyer like you are interviewing them instead of selling to them. Learn what they need, why they need it, and the constraints they might have in fulfilling their need(s).
2. Have additional questions at your ready. There are the basic diagnostic questions and then there are additional questions you might have through your research on the buyer. Take your time in your conversation to not only understand what they need, but also how and why they buy from professionals like you.
3. Be willing to walk away from the opportunity. Your area of expertise or your product must fit what the buyer needs. If it does not, walk away. Providing mediocre results on an opportunity might put a few extra dollars in your pocket, but it could easily end a potential long-term relationship with that client. If you do walk away, try your best to steer that person in the right direction to find someone who can help them. Having this mindset going into any opportunity can be powerful. It replaces the perception of “desperation” with “trust.” Remember, you are not walking away from the client, rather only that opportunity.

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Many professionals are experiencing a challenging time during the pandemic to generate new work. When the opportunities do present themselves, resisting the urge to impress the buyer before truly understanding their needs can make the difference between winning the work and losing it.
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If the two elder men were able to curb their selfish attitudes and adhere to the needs of the hospital, they would have received treatment.