Doodle

 

Listen between the words.
言葉の裏を聴こう。

 

Even in a business environment, it’s not always easy to talk about money. Especially when we set a price for our product or service.

When it comes to pricing, it’s better NOT to ask our customers what they think is right. They might say, “Well, I would buy your product/service if you set a price of $____.” But if we followed their advice, they wouldn’t buy. That’s because they’ve “analyzed” the price that seems right, and they are no longer excited about our product/service—the most powerful driving force to let our customers buy.

It’s also difficult to talk with potential customers about their budget. That’s simply because they rarely disclose it. They might say, “My budget is flexible.” Nope, there’s no such thing. They just want to know how we set a price. Or they might say, “My budget is limited.” They might be just looking for someone who works very cheap. Run away from them unless you’re happy with that.

No matter what we talk, we also need to see what the opponent thinks or feels. It’s usually behind their words—and their words always have some clues. If you talk face-to-face with someone, you often can see more from their facial expressions than their words.

Every single conversation you have is a chance to practice. Don’t avoid having a conversation about hard things, like money or contract terms. Because that’s the most effective way to become a better communicator.

 

 

Develop your hidden talent.
隠れた才能を伸ばそう。

 

What’s your talent? What do you do every day to cultivate your talent?

It’s not a good idea to expect someone else to do so for you. They might be able to help you develop in some way, but that doesn’t always mean they develop your own talent—most likely, they just train people who have the skills they need.

Even worse, it’s possible that you never have a chance to use your talent if you’re under someone’s control. If you have an artistic talent, you wouldn’t be so successful as an accountant. Or any occupation except an artist. As long as someone else decides what you do, there is a good chance that you wouldn’t be able to use your talent except for your weekend hobby.

Only you can develop your talent in the way you want. Hold yourself accountable for it, and do something every day.

 

 

Be in focus.
ピントを合わせよう。

 

When we are focused, we usually don’t seek MORE information; we look for BETTER information that lead us to a BETTER decision.

When we are NOT focused, we tend to set our sights on a large target and gather MORE information. But that doesn’t always help us find what matters; most of the time, it only leads us to blurred thinking.

In this information technology era, we’ve got to focus on what matters to us first. If we focused, it wouldn’t be so difficult to find the information we really need. But if we only exposed ourselves to limitless information, our time and mental capacity (which is limited) would merely be consumed by them.

 

 

Tell your story, not somebody else’s.
誰かの受け売りじゃなく、自分の話をしよう。

 

Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone knows how to tell it well.

This is what I thought when I drew a visual note on the Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell. (If you haven’t seen it, check my yesterday’s post.) Nobody creates or tells your true story for you. You create it yourself, and it’s you to tell it. Otherwise the story would be somewhat different from what it actually is—and can be deceptive at times.

Most likely, our life story won’t be like a Hollywood movie. But it’s still invaluable and worth telling. Don’t be afraid of telling it. Don’t succumb to the fear of telling it. Don’t use someone else’s lines instead of your story.

Recognize your own stories you already have, and learn how to tell. It will save someone—including yourself.

 

 

Respond well.
うまく応えよう。

 

Many people believe that responding quickly is a good thing to do, especially in a business environment.

But the fact is, many people do respond quickly, but poorly. Their response are often impulsive and emotional, and not thoughtful enough to have a productive, meaningful conversation.

A good response offers something in return. It helps us make progress, collaborate well, and understand each other. Always focus on responding well—because it creates more opportunities for us.