Kwame Christian Esq., M.A.

Have you ever regretted responding to a question before understanding the person's reason for asking?

When Whitney and I bought our first condo we had neighbors who lived directly below us.

They seemed nice at first...

Then we started to notice an interesting pattern.

ALL of our other neighbors kept asking the same question in the same suspicious tone:

“Soooo… what do you think of your downstairs neighbors.”

We thought it was odd but we brushed it off.

Now let’s fast forward 6 months… 😆

Without giving too much detail, let’s just say that it turned out that our downstairs neighbors were “difficult people.”

How does this apply to negotiation? 🧐 🤓

This story shows the importance of reflective curiosity.

Reflective curiosity is a principle where we take the time to understand why someone is asking a question before providing an answer.

💡 People ask questions to get information but with every question they ask they are also giving information.

Next time someone asks an interesting question in a difficult conversation, say, “before I answer, it would be helpful to know what prompted your question.”

Then silence. 🤫 🤐

What works for you? Comment below!

#negotiation #sales #strategy

2 years ago | [YT] | 7