Communication Quandary Series: Opening Closed Minds
I’m continuing to answer a question I recently received at askdianna@booher.com from Tariq Zohair in Karachi, Pakistan: “How can we open closed minds–people who do not want to listen to any arguments or logic?” There are many different ways to tackle this problem, so I’ll spend a few weeks doling out some tips on how to get through to people who can’t be reasoned with.
7) Calculate the minimum gain you would need to justify investing time or money in your idea.
Many ideas languish on the table of indecision because we can’t calculate “the hard dollars.” If we invest in training our salespeople to write better proposals at a cost of $X, what will be the payoff? Do we keep track of how many more deals they close after the proposal-writing course? But what if the price of the product they’re selling rises or a competitor changes the marketplace drastically? How do they pinpoint with certainty that better proposals alone will make the difference in their sales volume? We face such issues daily.
When it’s difficult to quantify savings or gain in time or money on a new idea, consider what the minimum time or dollar savings would need to be to make the idea worthwhile. What if the training resulted in our improved proposal that won the $12 million contract with Universal, Inc.?
Getting people to agree on a minimum is easier than getting them to agree on a valid, “real” number.
Credit other people for their sound reasoning.
Position yourself as an ally of anyone who thinks clearly. When people bring up opposing views, question them about the basis of the views. Understand their reasoning and let them know you understand that reasoning. Only with “we’re in this together” positioning will you overcome the feeling of “us” against “them.”
9) Recognize that people support what they help create.
Rally support for your ideas in a subtle way by asking people to contribute to them. Tell them what you’re about, what your goal is; then set about asking for their thinking on the subject before you put together your formal presentation of the idea to the entire group. What figures, resources, or anecdotes can they supply for you? If this plan meets with opposition, what do they think the focus of that disagreement likely will be? If others react negatively, what would they suggest you try as second best?
The White House uses this strategy in building support for major legislation in Congress. They seek out the facts, the opposing views, and the supporting views before the vote, not during.
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