I have a calendar on my desk, yes a paper calendar… I like to see a visual representation of the month.
This year’s calendar is by Leigh Standley the creator of Curly Girl Design – I absolutely love her work. Not only the art – her words as well.
“We do not need to have all of the answers. here is a lot of living to be done in the questions.” is September’s shared thought.
6-days in and I’ve been thinking of the inside sales implications of the idea (I know, I know you’re not surprised). This is NOT about what questions to ask – it’s about living without knowing all the answers and getting on with inside sales.
Here are the three reasons I’ve come across that inside salespeople (ok probably people in general) fear not knowing ALL the Answers:
#1 Fear of Being Judged: People often fear not knowing the answers because they worry about how others will perceive them. They may fear being seen as incompetent or unintelligent if they can’t provide a correct response. This fear of judgment can lead to anxiety – which tends to lead to people questioning themselves rather that listening and asking good questions.
#2 Loss of Control: Not knowing the answers can also evoke a fear of losing control over a situation. People like to feel in command and knowledgeable. When they don’t have the answers, they may feel helpless or vulnerable. This fear of losing control can be unsettling and drive inside salespeople to avoid situations where they might be confronted with their lack of knowledge.
#3 Negative Consequences: There is often a fear that not knowing the answers can lead to negative consequences. Salespeople may worry that their lack of knowledge will result in poor win rates, performance issues, or missed opportunities. This fear of negative outcomes can create a strong motivation to avoid situations where one might not know the answers.
What to do?
No matter what the reason – if (when?) you find yourself worried about not knowing the answers, make sure you’ve created a way for yourself to not just cope, but overcome.
- If you’re working on an inside sales team that has expert resources – you can use their presence to make yourself more comfortable in not knowing.
- Have a phrase you get comfortable with (or maybe two) to acknowledge your lack of knowledge, here are three of my favorites:
- You know what – I have no idea, but I’ll find out…
- I don’t remember anyone asking me that before…
- Tell me more about how that impacts your business…
- Of course you can also google “getting over the fear of not knowing” and pick the recommendation that feels right to you.