There is a fixed three-step order for clear explanations

Hello. I am Kengo Shibata, and I share ideas on entrepreneurship and side businesses to help you create stable income.

Have you ever been told this after finishing an explanation?

It has happened to me many times. Even when I thought I had explained things carefully, the look on the other person's face said, “I don't really get it.” The awkwardness of that moment is quite something.

For a long time, I thought this was because I was bad at explaining things. However, I now believe that was not the case. What was missing was not the technique of speaking, but the order of speaking.

If you start with the means, you get a “Why?”

There is a common pattern to unclear explanations. It is starting with the means.

“Let's grow our SNS first.”
“Let's redo the website.”
“Let's set up the system first.”

None of these are wrong. I myself have plenty of situations where I want to make such suggestions.

However, the first thing that pops into the listener's head is “Why?”

I think that is natural. The other person does not yet have a sense that it is necessary. Even if you present the means when the need has not yet developed, they have no way to accept it.

Moreover, when you are suddenly recommended a means, many people feel like they are being sold to. Even if you mean well, it comes across to the other person as, “This person wants to sell me this.” Once you are on guard here, no matter how carefully you explain things afterward, it won't get through.

Step 1: Start with the ideal future

So where should you start? I start with the other person's ideal future.

What would they be happy to see happen in a year? What kind of state is ideal? First, I confirm that in their own words.

Doing this has two benefits.

One is that the distance between the current location and the goal becomes visible. If you know the distance, what needs to be filled naturally becomes clear. I believe that work is, in the end, the task of measuring and filling this distance.

The other is that the subsequent conversation becomes the other person's story. Since it was the other person who talked about their ideal, the proposal to move toward it becomes a story that aligns with their wishes, not your own convenience. Even if the content is the same, the way it is received changes completely.

Skipping this and starting with the means is what creates the “Why?” It is a matter of order, not the skill of the explanation.

Step 2: Lay all your cards on the table

The next thing to do is to show the big picture of the options.

You say, "There are roughly five ways to get there," and lay them all out on the table. This includes options you don't even handle yourself.

I think this is the step most likely to be skipped. That's because people want to get to the main point (their own proposal) as quickly as possible.

However, there is great significance in not skipping this part.

Once the other party sees the big picture, they can understand where they stand. What options exist in the world, and which one are they trying to choose from among them? Being handed a map before choosing a path feels completely different from being told, "Let's go down this path," out of the blue.

And one more thing. A person who can explain other options as well appears to be someone who teaches rather than someone who sells. It may sound ironic, but the more you can talk about things other than your own product, the more likely your own product is to be chosen.

Step 3: "This is what you need"

Finally, narrow it down.

"Out of the five, the second one is the best for your situation."

What's important here is to be decisive about the reasons for your choice. Why not the other four?? Is it time constraints, cost, or the current structure? A proposal only becomes a proposal when reasons are provided.

I believe that the job of consulting is a job of explaining reasons. Often, the answer itself can be found if you look it up. Even so, people seek advice because they want someone to judge "why that is" in light of their own situation.

When you speak in this order, the other party makes a decision with conviction. People who decide with conviction do not get lost along the way. Conversely, people who decide on impulse usually stop later on.

Using this order even changes how you are turned down

What was surprising when I actually tried it was the aftertaste when I was turned down.

If you sell a solution and get turned down, the relationship ends right there. The other party feels awkward, making it difficult to contact them again.

However, if you ask about their ideal future, show them the big picture, and then make a proposal only to be turned down, the relationship remains. To the other party, you are the person who gave them a map. Even if they say, "I'll try it myself this time," they may come back after a while.

Besides, this order is also for your own benefit. Back when I was making proposals without asking about their ideal future, I never knew until the end what the other party was really looking for.

Summary

Being asked, "So, what does that mean in the end?" is not necessarily because you are bad at explaining. In many cases, it is simply because you started by talking about the solution.

The order is as follows.

1. Confirm the other person's ideal future(Measure the distance between their current position and their goal)
2. Lay out the overall picture of the methods(Provide a map that includes things you don't handle yourself)
3. Narrow it down to what they need, with reasons

When you speak in this order, even the same content changes from a "sales pitch" to a "proposal." The other person can make a decision with conviction, and even if they decline, the relationship remains intact.

Before polishing your speaking skills, rearrange the order. For me, this has been much more effective.

Thank you for reading until the end!

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