why can't you see what I'm saying?

If you haven't had a look at Linkedin then give it a try. I'm a great believer in the value of business networking, and if there is a relevant group that I can attend without getting up at dawn then I'm definitely up for that.    One feature of Linkedin which I particularly rate is "Groups." Likeminded members regularly post questions of interest, inviting other members to comment.  There is a bit of a risk that you post a question and nobody responds. That must be a bit crushing....especially in the gregarious Sales group that I belong to. On the other hand you can suddenly find yourself to be an "industry luminary" when you post a question and everybody wants to express an opinion on it.
We have one such question at the moment.   "Have you seen anything genuinely new from a sales trainer recently or is training now simply a commodity differentiated purely on price and service level?" ......Seems a straightforward enough question?

Of course the responses (110 so far ) were always going to be interesting!  We Sales Trainers are passionate about our profession. We encounter sceptics and critics in the marketplace and winning them over comes with the territory. Which is probably why we need the comfort and reassurance of consensus amongst our peers. However as passionate professionals we do tend to argue our case in what you might describe as an explanatory and assertive manner. I begin well enough...offering my first concise explanation. In this case discussing amongst other things, the importance of rapport, empathy and listening skills. When my response fails to gain the nod of approval from a peer I blame it on brevity...and go in again with a more expansive explanation. Followed by another even more expansive explanation. By now my interest in the comments of others has declined. Besides, they are so lengthy I find it difficult to grasp the point.

Only the fittest survive to this stage. I drop out of the debate, convinced that it is the poorer without me. After a while I reflect back on arguments about  rapport and empathy. "Hmmm!....Practice what you preach" seems good advice....but it was great fun! 

Then a couple of hours later I happen upon a quotation that had been posted by a Linkedin member.... 

"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding...but delights in airing his own opinions!"

I'm just off to revisit those responses...particularly the ones that seemed to contradict with  my opinions!  

For more thoughts, tips and advice on persuasive communication visit http://www.persuadability.co.uk/