To Sell is Human
I found this metaphor surprisingly helpful:
"...Suppose I'm in the market for a new vacuum cleaner. Ten or fifteen years ago, I'd have had to go into a store, talk to a salesman who was much better informed than I ever could be, and then rely on him to provide the product I needed at a price that was fair. Today, I can solve the vacuum cleaner problem myself. I can go online and check out specs and ratings of various models. I can post a question on my Facebook page and seek recommendations from my friends and my 'friends.' Once I've settled on a few possibilities, I can compare prices with a few keystrokes. And I can order my choice from the vendor offering the best deal. I don't need a salesman at all.
"Unless I've gotten my problem wrong.
"After all, my ultimate aim isn't to acquire a vacuum cleaner. It's to have clean floors. Maybe my real problem is that the screens on my windows aren't sufficient to keep out dust, and replacing them with better screens will keep my entire house cleaner when the windows are open. Maybe my problem is that my carpet collects dirt too easily, and a new carpet will obviate the need for me to always be vacuuming. Maybe I shouldn't buy a vacuum cleaner but instead join a neighborhood cooperative that shares home appliances. Maybe there's an inexpensive cleaning service with its own equipment that serves my area. Someone who can help me achieve my main goal--clean floors--in a smarter, cheaper way is someone I'll listen to and perhaps even buy from. If I know my problem, I can likely solve it. If I don't know my problem, I might need some help finding it." (Pink, Daniel. 2012. To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth about Moving Others. Riverhead Books: New York, 127-128).
Implications:
I end up buying a lot of things that I end up not using. One way I can avoid this is to think, "what is the problem that I am buying this thing to solve? Is my real problem perhaps something else?"
I think this story also has implications for relationships, managing stress, college education, and perhaps finding happiness in life, but I'm not 100% sure how.
"...Suppose I'm in the market for a new vacuum cleaner. Ten or fifteen years ago, I'd have had to go into a store, talk to a salesman who was much better informed than I ever could be, and then rely on him to provide the product I needed at a price that was fair. Today, I can solve the vacuum cleaner problem myself. I can go online and check out specs and ratings of various models. I can post a question on my Facebook page and seek recommendations from my friends and my 'friends.' Once I've settled on a few possibilities, I can compare prices with a few keystrokes. And I can order my choice from the vendor offering the best deal. I don't need a salesman at all.
"Unless I've gotten my problem wrong.
"After all, my ultimate aim isn't to acquire a vacuum cleaner. It's to have clean floors. Maybe my real problem is that the screens on my windows aren't sufficient to keep out dust, and replacing them with better screens will keep my entire house cleaner when the windows are open. Maybe my problem is that my carpet collects dirt too easily, and a new carpet will obviate the need for me to always be vacuuming. Maybe I shouldn't buy a vacuum cleaner but instead join a neighborhood cooperative that shares home appliances. Maybe there's an inexpensive cleaning service with its own equipment that serves my area. Someone who can help me achieve my main goal--clean floors--in a smarter, cheaper way is someone I'll listen to and perhaps even buy from. If I know my problem, I can likely solve it. If I don't know my problem, I might need some help finding it." (Pink, Daniel. 2012. To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth about Moving Others. Riverhead Books: New York, 127-128).
Implications:
I end up buying a lot of things that I end up not using. One way I can avoid this is to think, "what is the problem that I am buying this thing to solve? Is my real problem perhaps something else?"
I think this story also has implications for relationships, managing stress, college education, and perhaps finding happiness in life, but I'm not 100% sure how.