One of my favorite ways to step out of the cacophony (word I've been dying to use lately) of 2009 mind noise (information, news, tension, technology...you know what I mean) is to sit down and flip on an old Andy Griffith Show (only the Black and White ones for me thanks).
And I noticed something interesting the other day on a gem I was watching with my daughter Maddy (to a 14 year old it's like us watching the first moving pictures)...anyway, in this one Andy, Goob, and Floyd were sitting around the barber shop just having a conversation for like 20 minutes on one topic...something like the huge oak tree in the town square. And what was interesting to me was that they were actually looking at each other, talking and listening...and even commenting on what the other person said!!
One topic? 20 minutes? In the middle of the day? Are you freaking kidding me??
Can you imagine that scene in today's world?
- Andy would have just sent his 3rd tweet of the day before arriving at the shop...he can only stay 5 minutes because he has two conference calls he needs to hop in and out of...
- Floyd would have just signed up for Andy's tweets and probably busting his chops on him not mentioning he was heading to his shop that day ("oooh Andy...I like the tweets you're sending ...yes, yes...but you DIDN'T mention my shop, or my special on flat tops...just $1.00 through Thanksgiving! But you still have a terrific head of hair...yes, yes")
- Goob would have his laptop going in the corner, bitching about Floyd's crappy wireless source because he's trying to download two new "How do dance to attract hot babes" videos
- And then Opie pops in and says he needs $1,500 to attend a special "tackling camp" in Mount Pilot if he wants to stay on the elite pee-wee football team
We could go on and on with that scenario (and perhaps we should??)...anyway, you get the point. We are so over-wired, over-programmed, over-everythinged to ever really stop and have just one conversation about one thing.
And I really do think it's destroying our ability to properly question and practice deep listening when talking with clients in sales calls. I really do.
I mean think about yourself in a sales call...don't you have a tendency to do one of these:
- As the client is talking I'm feeling guilty about 5 things I said I would try to do before this meeting, but didn't...
- Or I'm thinking about how quickly I need to get out of here if I have a shot at getting the next 5 things done...
- And as the prospect or client is talking, I'm thinking "how long is this going to take?" "When am I going to be able to start talking about my solutions...so we can get to a proposal...so I can get my manager off my back...so I can hopefully save my 4th quarter?"
- Or as the client talks we think about the state of the company...the state of the world...the upcoming weekend...the email I just got...the nasty one I have to send...the blog post I need to make...
This too could go on and on (and maybe it shouldn't!!).
The point is...we may be losing the ability to practice deep listening...and it may take some real work on our part to silence all of this for small moments of time in order to look someone in the eye, ask a question...and God forbid...listen to their answer!
Now when is Clara going to finish that next batch of pickles (because we all know Aunt Bee's suck!!)
GB
