In leadership, influence, and sales, we can blunder by making our case too early. And we know we are making our case too early because we feel bad: rushed, frustrated, tense, or afraid.
Perhaps we feel that we need to explain the what, why, who, when, and how. Or maybe we think we want to impress the other person with our authority or knowledge. Or maybe we fear that they will say, “No,” so we try to preempt them with our words.
In any case, the solution is simple. Just follow these four steps, concentrating especially on steps 1 and 2: building a foundation of trust and exploring (mostly asking and listening) their story.
In your corner,
Mike