A lot of us make this mistake…
When you correct it, your team engages better and your clients stick with you more.
In sales, the mistake sounds like, “I’d love to schedule a meeting to discuss…”
In leadership it sounds like, “Here’s what I need you to do…”
Here’s what the recipients of these statements are thinking:
What’s In it For Me?
Maybe it’s because they’re overloaded. Maybe it’s because they’re selfish. Likely it’s because we all only know our own perspective.
If what you’re saying doesn’t quickly connect to relevance, value, or relief… people tune out.
Instead of: “I need this completed by Friday…”
Try rephrasing it to: “This project helps the team hit their goal, and we’re all scrambling at the last minute…”
Here’s the thing. The moment communication becomes about the speaker, engagement from the listener… drops.
You can actually feel it. Take a look at a generic sentence below versus the sentence rephrased with WIFM in mind.
“I want to walk you through what our company does.” vs. “Here’s how this tool could help your team solve…”
Instead of just delivering information from your perspective, make the value, and the relevance, obvious.
Ready to communicate effectively with confidence? Schedule a call with an executive coach today.
