Realize what I give as examples below represents at least part of our customer/client base, which is why we can’t assume too much about people, good or bad – too many people just don’t pay attention. It’s also why my wife proofreads my memos and newsletters; because if I start using industry jargon and she doesn’t understand it I know I have to change the language so all readers will get my points, not just those in my industry.
On September 15 I was watching the NBC Nightly News while working out. They did an imitation Jay Leno bit with “people on the street” interviews. The question was, “How many people in the US have died of COVID-19 so far?” The answer is below; see if you know it without cheating, using Google, or asking someone. Here are three of the answers:
- Close to 100,000.
- Tens of thousands.
- They said it was 100,000 but took that back and it’s about 1,900.
A couple days later I had a routine doctor’s appointment and got to talking to the nurse. I asked if her hands got dried out because she was putting on sanitizer every few minutes. She said, yes, they do, we try to be careful, and then shared a story about a patient. She also works in the ICU and said the guy, with heart issues and diabetes, went to Sturgis, had a good time, came home with COVID, gave it to his neighbor, ended up in the ICU, and died.
Look, for everybody like those mentioned above there are at least an equal number who know what the heck is going on and what to do. The problem is, you can’t automatically tell the two types apart until you engage in a dialogue, ask questions, and get to know them. When you get to know them you build trust and a relationship, which is when a win-win arrangement is achieved.
“There are three sides to every story: you side, my side, and the truth.” Robert Evans