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This weeks
Article....
Decisions Making in a
Blink
How we really make most
decisions and why
If the mind and the brain and
how they work fascinate you, then the
book "Blink" is a must read for
you!
I've been studying the concepts
of persuasion and influence and how the
brain really works and makes choices. It
is probably not the way you think it does
or that you have as much control as you
would like.
Here is the situation; you have
a major client that is having a problem
and is all but happy about it. The
situation is getting tense and the loss
of this account is looking more likely.
You are trying to stay in control and
think, but things are moving so fast and
you have three of the clients on your
case at one time. The world is spinning
and you are losing track of what is
happening in the confrontation. This is
not good and you just cannot think fast
enough. If only
this would all slow down so you could
think!
Meanwhile; a police officer that
has been in a fatal shooting is
describing the situation that took only
seconds in such great detail that one
would think it took 5 minutes. Every
detail of the criminal, the gun and how
it looked and where it was pointed at any
given time, even how the bullets hit and
where!
Question; how can a police
officer slow a 2-3 second incident down
and recall such detail when we are
challenged to think straight in a client
disagreement!
The answer is something every
Leader, Manager or Salesperson needs to
understand and be able to use!
Here is how it works…
In the book "Blink" the comparison
is drawn between experts that could look at
a statue or a situation and immediately come
to a correct conclusion in
seconds. Meanwhile
others did studies, ran tests or extensive
examinations only to come to an erroneous
conclusion!
How can this be!
To understand this we have to
face one undeniable fact; our brain makes
the majority of our decisions and choices
without us being involved! Yep,
even though we want to believe we are
logical and in control, our brain is
making choices and directing us without
us being involved!
Think of a time where you saw
something and just immediately knew there
was something not right. You could not
explain what it was, yet you just felt it
was not right! Ultimately you were proven
correct and still could not explain
why!
Your inner brain or primitive
reptilian brain was evaluating the
situation through your experience and was
sensing things your cortex or thinking
brain had not picked up. I call
this reptilian part of the brain "Liz"
for short. It is
amazing how many choices "Liz" actually
makes for us!
Now "Liz" will do one of two
things:
1.
Take
over and block out your thinking cortex
and be fully reactive. In "Blink" this is
called being "Mind Blind".
This is where emotion is
fully in control and past negative
experience or prejudice can take
over.
A rookie cop sees a young black
man in a situation that assumes he has a
gun and is doing something wrong. (If the
boy is guilty or not, is not a factor,
prejudice says he is.) In a matter of
seconds the unarmed boy is shot dead!
The
officer can hardly recall anything that
happened!
A salesperson is about to close
a big sale. The client asks one more
question and the salesperson makes a big
assumption, "Liz", the assumption and
prejudice kick in. What
comes out of the salesperson's mouth sets
the client back on their heels and kills
the deal! Unfortunately the salesperson
has no idea what just happened or recalls
what was said.
2.
Because of experience, training
and practice; "Liz" allows the cortex to
kick in. Everything is focuses on what to
look for or observe. The person is only
aware of what is being focused on and
time seems to slow
down.
The experience officer has been
here before and realizes this could be a
dangerous situation. Yet something says
not to pull the trigger just yet! He sees
every movement, observes every detail,
even the pearl handle on the gun and
where the barrel is pointing. In less
than 2 seconds the gun is on the ground
and no shots are fired! "I knew
he was scared and something told me to
hold off firing." The
officer explains every move and
observation in detail!
The salesperson has had
extensive communications training and
planned and practiced their skills. The
client is throwing some real crap at them
and trying to beat them up on the deal.
This salesperson knows what to observe
and time seems to slow down. He sees the
slight tightening of the upper lip, hears
the voice conations, picks up on clues
most would miss. This salesperson knows
just what to do and address the situation
in a way which leaves the client saying
"yes" at full margin! An
evaluation of the conversation revels the
details of what was observed and said and
why!
So how do we develop the ability
to put "Liz" to work for us rather than
against us?
Knowledge, experience and
practice are the answers. In law
enforcement the officers that go through
extensive high pressure practice are able
to slow down the real situations. Much of
this comes from their education as to
what to observe and focus on that gives
them the real picture.
I observe the same thing in
Leadership of Sales development. Those
that make assumptions end up having "Liz"
in control more often than not. Those
that study, get training and practice
have a different view and focus on the
cues that tell them the real
picture. "Liz"
becomes their secret weapon and
competitive edge by providing a deep
insight or intuition.
This is one reason the Seminar
and Knowledge only approach to training
just does not get the long term results.
"Liz" needs some form of experience in
order to modify the reaction and Seminar
and Knowledge only approaches just do not
get this done!
So if you want to be more in
control, slow the situation down and
observe the cues, get educated, but also
get coaching and practice to put "Liz"
under your control!
Getting the book "Blink" would
be a good start!
Harlan Goerger
Copy write 2=2009
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