Work Responsibilities Got You Spooked?
Have you been tasked with a project at work and feel that you are not the most qualified person to do it? For example, take a teacher who also has to manage a budget and use the same allocation software as the finance department. Or an accountant or engineer who is responsible for new client acquisition. Or anyone who is suddenly a Zoom pro? Did these professionals receive the proper training? Does the teacher have a deep understanding of accounting principles? Have the accountant and engineer participated in sales training? Did anyone really have proper Zoom training?
The answer is most likely NO to all of these questions. You can probably identify at least one task you do now that did not seem to fit in your wheelhouse at first.
At The Communication Gym we work with professionals in all fields to equip them with skills that complement their formal training. Our Ideal Client Professional Practice Group prepares members to identify, attract, earn, and retain their Ideal Clients. Through our curriculum, members learn about the stages in the sales process and the tools and tactics as they navigate each step.
In previous posts, we have described tactics like Leveling the Playing Field and the 3 W’s. Let’s look at the 4 P’s today so you can incorporate them into your conversations.
One way to better understand the needs, problems, or issues of the other party is to identify the 4 P’s and then be able to reflect them back without judgment.
What problem are you having?
What pain is that causing?
What pleasure will you experience if this problem were solved?
What will it mean to you personally (to alleviate this problem)?
Of course you may reword these questions to fit your style and situation! Once you ask and LISTEN, your summary may sound like:
As I understand it, one important problem you’re experiencing is _____. This problem is causing pain by _____. If you could alleviate this problem, you would experience ____. And if you solved this problem, to you personally it would mean ___. Do I understand you correctly?
This simple tool won’t solve all of your problems, but it will improve your relationships at work and at home.
By incorporating the 4Ps, you will demonstrate your desire to understand others and model an objective and useful tool that gets you closer to a positive outcome.
We can’t get rid of ghosts and goblins, but we can offer you concrete ways to improve your professional and personal relationships. For more information on our Practice Groups, click here.
