Expanding The Buyer Paradigm

I value the opinions of others.  This week I will be more open to opposing views

Over the years I have always struggled with this concept that people seem to be so ready to accept – and that is that we all need to think outside the square.

Now in principle I understand what this means, however, when I think about this practically, I can’t see how it is ever possible.

I was conducting one of my sales programs the other day and one of the audience members said very cleverly “We don’t know what we don’t know!”

My question to you is how can we possible think outside of that which we know.

I am a fan of the work of Joel Barker who talks a lot about our mental boundaries of beliefs and thoughts…..our mental paradigms.  My take on his research is that it is not possible for us to think outside of our own mental boundaries (what we know, believe and understand).  And that instead of us being able to break through these boundaries of belief and thought, what we actually do is to expand them.

How do we do that?

Well that’s the focus of this week’s affirmation.  By being open to new ideas….especially those that may be an opposing view to your own, is one way to expand you boundaries of belief and understanding – your mental paradigm, or the ‘square within which you think’.

That is not to say that we need to accept every opposing view.  What I am suggesting is that when we hear (or experience in any way for that matter) something that we don’t agree with, it is a trigger for us to know that we are right at the edge of our mental paradigm.

This trigger ought to remind us to be open, explore the possibility, treat the opposing view as an hypothesis.  This exercise is one that will flex your boundaries of belief or thought.

In sales, our clients hear what they want to hear (as we all do).  It is built within each of us to protect and defend our current beliefs and the choices we have made, as well as the situation we are in.

For a client to agree to purchase something from us, they quite often will need to expand their paradigm, and they won’t do that by us just telling them they need to buy from us.

Once again, it is in the questions that we ask that help the clients expand their boundaries of belief and understanding.  It is in the questions that we ask that reveal the value that we can provide them.  It is in the questions that we ask that ignite the principle of discovery learning…..which is that people are more likely to take action on that which they discover for themselves, than if we just tell them.

I do value the opinions of others.  I respect their right to have opposing views to me. 
And when I see that I can provide them with more value than they are currently experiencing, but that their current boundaries of belief and thought and understanding is blocking them from seeing the possibility, I believe it is my moral obligation to communicate to them in ways that they shift and expand their mental boundaries into seeing the possibility and create an environment where they are comfortable and confident to make a wise buying decision.

So while I am practicing the art of expanding my own mental paradigms, I am also concentrating on helping others expand theirs.

What a privilege.

Let me know your thoughts.