I have a service provider that unfortunately I depend on but, guess what; every time I talk to him he puts me in a bad mood. He is a grump – pure and simple – complains a lot and never has a good word to say about anybody. It literally takes me a half day to recover from the toxin he injects into the atmosphere. I know, I could stop using him, and I will, but I need him for now so I am tolerating it. But here is the real lesson for today’s column . . . he has no idea he is doing it!
You see, this fellow is a decent guy . . . he is not physically doing anything wrong and I am sure he thinks that by simply delivering what I am paying him for, he is fulfilling his obligation in the relationship. But, of course, his business is not growing and he is unhappy to boot, so it is not going to be a good outcome for him in the long run. His blind spot is killing him (and everybody else he interacts with). So the question of the week is: Do you have a blind spot?
Of course, the only possible answer is “I don’t know” since, by definition, if you have a blind spot, you cannot see it. So it may pay to ask this simple question to someone you trust and will tell you the truth.
“When I am part of a conversation or meeting, is it your perception that I lift spirits and add positive energy, that I am neutral, or that I actually deplete energy by the way I communicate and interact?”
Hopefully the answer will be neutral to positive, and then follow up with one more question.
“Is there one thing you recommend that I do to improve the energy and vibes I bring to my communications and relationships?”
Blind spots are dangerous, in driving and in sales. Keep flushing them out through occasional, honest feedback from people you trust and respect. As salespeople who sell through relationships, we must ADD energy, or we will be run over by competitors who do.
