One of The 25 Most Important Things I’ve Learned
Most people operate
in the Fuzzy zone. Learning to focus can
make everything better. That is one of
the most important lessons I’ve learned.
A little background. I’ve been a consultant/speaker/trainer for
over 30 years, having worked with more than 500 B2B sales forces. Recently, one of my clients suggested that I
compile a list of the 25 most important lessons I’ve learned and write about
each. Pursuing that idea, I came up with a long list. To narrow it down, I
applied these criteria to the list:
1. It had to be an important lesson – one which has the potential to
dramatically affect a person, a sales team, or a business — not superficial or
trivial.
2. It had to arise out of my personal
experience. In other words, not
something that I garnered from a book, or borrowed from someone else. Something
I’ve learned in the trenches.
3. It had to have been tested in the
caldron of real-world experience. No
blue-sky stuff.
4. I had to unwaveringly vouch for its
validity. These are concepts and lessons
that I would stand behind.
Using that process, I reduced
the list to 25. In no particular order
of priority, I have finished several, and you can find the links at the bottom
of this post. Here’s the next on the
list: Most people operate in the Fuzzy zone.
Learning to focus can make everything better.
Let’s begin with some
definitions. Fuzzy refers to the way
many people think about things and decide what to do. Fuzzy means that their observations,
concepts, and decisions are vague and general. Focused means that their ideas,
their observations, and their decisions are precise.
Here’s some examples. In my world, I often teach B2B salespeople
how to sell better. One module teaches
the practice of asking better questions.
After the module, when I ask the salespeople to make a commitment to put
that practice into their routines, I’ll often get something like this: “Asking
better questions is a good idea. I’ll try to do that.” That’s a good intention,
but it’s too fuzzy to translate into changed behavior. You could easily neglect
to put any effort into it, and watch it fade away and never turn into changed
behavior.
However, if that same
salesperson were to commit like this: “I’ll spend time before every sales call
creating at least three good questions I want to ask,” then that commitment is
focused – precise and verifiable. As you
consider each of these responses, it is obvious which would more likely be
transferred into changed behavior. One thought is fuzzy, the other is focused.
A little bit of mental work — moving from fuzzy to focused — can make all the
difference.
While the example I used speaks
to salespeople, I find examples of fuzzy thinking at every level of an
organization, and I find it so commonly that it is the rule, not the exception.
I’ve often thought of my work as a consultant as helping people move from fuzzy
to focused.
Here’s an example from sales
management. Let’s say a manager wants
his sales team to spend more time acquiring new customers. The fuzzy way would be to give a direction
like this: “We need new customers, guys. So, I want you to spend more time cold
calling and developing prospects.”
Because the direction if fuzzy, it likely won’t make a bit of
change. However, if that same sales
manager could energize the team by being more focused: “We need new
customers. A new customer is someone who
has not purchased from us in two years and spends at least $1,000 in a
two-month period. In the next quarter,
I’m expecting to see two new customers from each of you.”
Not only does the more focused
direction stimulate the kind of behavior you want, but the opposite is also
true. Fuzzy directions lead to differing
expectations, frustration and conflict.
For example, our fuzzy sales manager may be confronted with a difference
of opinion about what constitutes a new customer. Or, what “more time cold calling” means. The fuzzy direction actually encourages
misunderstandings and conflict.
Here’s another example from my
world. I’ve often been asked how to help
reactive, customer-service type inside salespeople become more proactive. That
will not happen if you ask the salespeople to “Spend some time every day making
outbound calls.” It is far more likely
to stimulate behavior if you say, “I’m expecting you to make ten outbound sales
calls to existing customers each day and record the calls and results on the
CRM system.” One direction is fuzzy, the
other focused.
While these examples are from
the world of sales, the concept applies to many different situations. For
example, I often facilitate small group meetings. I’ve found that beginning
with a focused question dramatically impacts the quality of the interaction. In one CEO roundtable meeting, for
example, the host announced that he
wanted “to discuss employee engagement.”
The group sat silently. I
suggested that we focus on the question, “What are some things we have done, or
seen done, to promote employee engagement? Let’s create a list” The group
jumped right in and began a spirited discussion. The difference was focused versus fuzzy.
In any group discussion which
has the objective of coming to a decision, or creating an action plan, the more
focused the starting point, the more likely there is a positive outcome. Not only that, but the ending direction can
make all the difference in stimulating positive action. Whether it is a
strategic planning meeting, a home Bible study, or anything in between, asking
for a focused commitment will dramatically enhance the likelihood of positive
action to follow.
The process of setting goals is
fertile ground for moving from fuzzy to focus.
“I’m going to lose weight” is a good intention, but too fuzzy to prompt
any changed behavior. “I’ll weight 200 pounds on September 1” is focused and
much more likely to stimulate positive action.
In our Menta-Morphosis® Learning
system, for example, we conclude every learning experience with the challenge
to create a Precise Prescription. This
is a commitment that begins with the words, “I will….” and then describes a
specific, verifiable behavior that has arisen out of the content presented. And
in our Kahle
Way® Selling System programs, we require the salespeople taking the course
to actually practice the skill being taught by completing focused application
exercises.
All because we’ve learned that
moving from fuzzy to focused makes everything better.
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