When I was trying so hard to explain, I wasn't conveying anything at all.
I prepared thoroughly, yet for some reason, my message didn't get across.
Back when I was in sales, I was
struggling with exactly that problem.
I would create talk scripts and
review my materials over and over again.
Even so, by the time the meeting ended,
it was not uncommon to see a look of confusion
on the client's face.
Thinking back on it now,
perhaps my focus was directed in the wrong direction.
The negative spiral created by the need to 'cover everything'
Being a naturally anxious person,
I would prepare meticulously before every sales meeting.
I would read through the product materials,
transcribe my talk scripts,
and head into the meeting thinking, 'This is perfect.'
However, once the meeting actually began,
my mind was
completely filled with the thought of
'explaining everything without missing a single point.'
Because my focus was entirely on my own words,
I was constantly restless with anxiety and impatience while speaking.
To make matters worse, when I sensed the feeling that 'this isn't really getting through'
from the client's expression,
my anxiety would only accelerate further.
'Oh no, I just have to finish talking to the end,'
I would think, and the more I thought that, the faster I would speak.
And in doing so, I would leave the client even further behind.
I created a 'negative spiral' all by myself, and
deep down, I was constantly panicking.
At my worst, I would have tough clients
'So, what exactly are you trying to say?'
throw that back at me.
What I want to convey differs every time depending on the person.
Why, even though I was explaining things so hard, was I not getting through?
Through trial and error, I realized
the obvious fact that 'the client's consideration status and level of understanding are completely different for every project.'
Yet, I was trying to explain using a one-size-fits-all product presentation deck
for everyone, in the exact same order.
So, I decided to change my approach to explaining from the ground up.
Before the business meeting,
I would clarify 'the one thing (the core) I really want to convey to this client today'
and condensed it into a single document.
Instead of jumping straight into explaining detailed features,
I would first
'what are the three beneficial effects for the team?'
For example,
work time can be reduced by 30 minutes
Fewer mistakes
Easier handovers
are presented on a single sheet.
Then, I explain the features that lead to those benefits by linking them in a way that makes the usage scenarios easy to visualize.
"If this one sheet gets across, nothing else matters."
Ever since I started condensing my "core message" onto a single sheet,
my mindset toward presentations has changed 180 degrees.
One day, I started to think like this.
"As long as this one core sheet is understood, the rest of the explanation doesn't matter."
Instead of scrapping existing product introduction materials,
I use them strictly as
"appendices (supplementary materials)" to reinforce that one sheet.
By being able to make this trade-off,
"I have to explain every single page without omission"
I was freed from that spell.
In business meetings,
an unprecedented
"peace of mind" was born.
When you stop "explaining," business meetings become "dialogue and listening."
Because my core message no longer wavered,
I no longer needed to keep talking one-sidedly.
While showing the "core message I want to convey,"
"Can you visualize this part?"
"How is it in your current workplace?"
And so, I became able to proceed
while checking the customer's reactions.
In other words, the setting for the explanation naturally
transformed into a "place for dialogue."
By presenting with composure, I became able to naturally hear
the customer's true feelings, opinions,
and the challenges they are facing.
I became able to complete high-quality information gathering
at the same time as the presentation.
The "?" marks that used to float above the customer's head disappeared,
and their expression changed to one of understanding.
Even now, when I give a presentation or an explanation,
"What do I want the other person to take away today?"
is what I make sure to think about first.
Strangely enough,
just by deciding that one single thing,
my anxiety about speaking decreased surprisingly.
The reason I, who was bad at explaining, was able to feel a little more at ease
is not because I became better at speaking.
It is because I started to firmly decide
the core message I want to convey to the other person.
When I stopped trying to explain,
I think I finally stood at the starting line
of "conveying."
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"If I try harder, I can change."
Thinking that, I read self-help books, tried to change my personality...
Even so, for some reason, the difficulty of living just wouldn't go away.
Actually, that might not be because there is a problem with you,
but simply because you don't know your own "user manual."
For a long time, I also hated that I was "someone who worries more than others."
But when I understood myself deeply, I realized that this sensitivity was not a weakness,
but the gateway to my talent.
If right now,
・I want to know my talents
・I want to find a way of working that suits me
・I want to turn my struggles into strengths
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