What If They Were In The Room?

Robby

I have a little game I like to play in professional conversations. I call it “what if they were in the room?”

This is something you can do any time you’re discussing a third party, whether it’s a colleague, a candidate, or a customer. It might be a vendor or just someone you know professionally. Playing the game is mostly asking that question, but it sure is powerful.

© Flickr User Donna Benjamin

Here’s some real-world examples from actual conversations I had right here in Indianapolis:

A: I like that last person we interviewed, but she is a young woman and she just got married.

B: Yeah. Do you think she might be getting pregnant soon? Or maybe want to quit and start a family?

Wow. What if she were in the room? How would she react to that conversation?

Another:

A: Our customer is about to spend $100,000 on a new system from another vendor.

B: Yeah, could we become a certified reseller from that vendor and make a few percentage points on the sale?

If your customer heard that you were scrambling to become a “certified reseller”, how would they react?

And one more:

A: There’s no way we can deliver that in the timeframe they want. It’s just not possible, not for any company.

B: Yes, but if we don’t agree to that deadline, we won’t get the deal.

A: Do you think we can get the deal and maybe push on the deadline later?

Again, what if they were in the room?

When you talk about anyone else, imagine they were there listening. And then, what would you say different?