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Listening your way to yes: curiosity over pitch
Executive overview
Most leaders over-invest in perfecting their pitch and under-invest in understanding the other person. The secret to getting yes more often is listening for what the other person actually needs — then expressing your proposal in terms of their world.
Get curious about others' needs first; your pitch will follow naturally.
Why listening beats pitching
- Steve Jobs won John Sculley with one line — built by listening, not scripting
- Jobs secured all of Toshiba's 1.8-inch hard drives by identifying what Toshiba needed: a buyer
- When people hear something that fits their world, they say yes naturally
- Clever pitching is yesterday's sales strategy
How to listen for yes
- Do your homework in advance, but set the pitch aside when in conversation
- Listen and question for what the other person cares about and how they respond
- Notice cues in behaviour, not just what they say directly
- Frame your proposal around what you've learned they need
- Move on when there's no genuine match — you'll know faster
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