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This philosophy is applicable to much more than just sales. I generally try to avoid highlighting problems unless I can suggest a solution. People don't want to hear whats wrong, they want to know how things can get better.
When my boss replies with "sounds good" I start looking for my next job. I totally agree with "let me know". These simple 2 or 3-word phrases can mean very different things in different English-speaking subcultures. Here's what UrbanDictionary says about a variant: > LET ME KNOW HOW THAT WORKS OUT FOR YOU the easiest way to end an argument when your opponent relays their intentions to do something that you do not agr…
What about this reply triggers this?
I'm just wondering, are people on the other side of the mail "actively" rejecting you when you say that kind of stuff, or is more of a subconscious thing?
I'm just wondering, are people on the other side of the mail "actively" rejecting you when you say that kind of stuff, or is more of a subconscious thing?
It's not that they didn't want to work with you, it's that they're busy, and if they had the knowledge they needed to turn the muddy requirements in their head into actionable steps, then they wouldn't need you. You need to sell them something.
On a side note, part of my problem is that I am a USMC combat vet, and I have worked very hard at toning down my bossy, demanding mannerisms since I got out, but it seems I may have taken it too far. Sometimes, people need other to take that initiative.
The OP's idea of proposing two solutions is good too, even if there is one real solution. You're allowing the client to make a decision, even if it's a forced one. It lets them feel in control. Give them two solutions and then ask something like "Which would you prefer?" You're almost guaranteed an answer.
When I get a new lead for a project I know nothing about (either incoming or outgoing) I usually do a very brief one or two sentence intro and end with "How can I help?" It's similar to "Let me know if I can help" but requires a response.
This philosophy is applicable to much more than just sales. I generally try to avoid highlighting problems unless I can suggest a solution. People don't want to hear whats wrong, they want to know how things can get better.
1. This kind of thing leads to bigger problems. If they're small but your employee is having trouble coming up with a solution, and they don't come to you, odds are the problem will get worse and you might not find out about it before it takes the proverbial "pound of cure" to deal with it.
2. If your employee already has a solution in mind, why do they need to come to you at all? Just let them implement it. If you need your employees to run their "solutions" by you, you might be a micromanager. As a manager, I want my employees coming to me with their unsolvable problems, not the stuff they think they can handle. Sure, there's some risk of a mistake from time to time, but I treat those as experiences to learn from and there are other ways of keeping those "lessons" from getting too expensive.
3. It's often hypocritical. Does the average middle manager waste their senior exec's time with stuff they already know the answer to? Most likely not.
All that said, a policy of "Don't come to me with a problem until after you've thought about it a little bit" (i.e. a form of "Don't come to me with data, come to me with analysis") is perfectly reasonable to me.