People will do what you want…
… if it’s in their self-interest to do so.
But it isn’t always easy to know what they’re interested in.
A simple way to find out is to JOLT them:
- Judged: how do others judge them in their job?
- Objectives: what do they themselves want to achieve?
- Like: what do they like doing?
- Time: how time-poor are they?
For example, imagine JOLT-ing a sales director, and finding she:
- J – has to ensure she and her team hit their huge target
- O – wants a promotion within 1-2 years
- L – has a young family so wants a good work:life balance
- T – is ridiculously time-poor
You’ve now got a pretty good idea of what she’s likely to respond well to – anything that:
- Increases sales
- Gets her noticed by the bosses
- Saves her time
So, starting a chat with ‘I’ve thought of something new that will help your team sell more, more quickly’ would instantly engage her.
The next person you speak with today will have different priorities to you.Will you start by talking about your agenda, or theirs?
Action Point
Use JOLT to help better understand the people you speak with. And then tailor what you say to what they want to hear.