Today I did one of my daily readings and it was about admitting when I don’t know how to do something! WHAT? I remember when I first started out in sales how I fixated on what if they ask me something I don’t know. My wonderful boss, best boss I’ve ever had, would tell me to just keep trying to get meetings and make connections? I would make the phone call to the person and THE PERSON WOULD ANSWER….and then I would freeze or say something like. “Do you use this service?” Which is a big kick your self in the gut move, because they would just say No….Yes/No questions are not the best when it comes to engaging conversation.
My product was a servce and there were many facets to that service and my mind would have exploded if I learned it all in one day. Therefore it was a learn as you go kinda deal and I learned to embrace the process, eventually.
What I discovered was people want you to admit when you don’t know. Not one client in 12 years stumped me and said because you don’t have an answer..you go pound sand! They certainly could sense my energy when I didn’t know and anyone that is lying is pretty much done with that prospect/opportunity. So, I would admit I didn’t know and promised to get back to them with an answer! Guess what that built more trust than knowing all of the answers ever did!
So, now I ponder how can I apply that skill to other parts of my life? It’s quite liberating and refreshing to admit when I don’t understand, don’t know or really even don’t remember. The other day I was trying to figure out how to connect my computer with a mixer and an audio interfacer-thingy for the podcast I do with my friends. Telling on Ourselves, check it out I admit all the time when I don’t know how to do things! Usually it’s quite funny and a wee bit embarrassing! So, as I sat with this amazing equipment I followed the directions, I googled, I YouTubed, I went to the website and learned that equipment was bought by a different company. And I discovered that the software on my computer was not compatible. ARRGH…SO DISAPPOINTING!
I still wanted to make sure so I reached out to an expert I know and we talked it through and what I found out was that my curiosity and ability to not know and admit it was an asset. I was on the right track and I now am researching other options.
One thing I can tell you is I will get this working one way or another and I’m grateful for my practice of admitting to others and myself that SOMETIMES I JUST DON’T KNOW! AND THAT IS OK! I am still awkward and very awesome for being true to myself! Not only did it help me in my work but it helps me in all kinds of life stuff. The freedom and wisdom in not knowing and learning more is a powerful tool in growth and becoming a better me!!
This skill and many others are things that I will be sharing in my business helping women become their awesome selves! If you are interested in learning about how I can help do sign up here to learn more or the closed Facebook group for the Awkward and Awesome Tribe!
