Lost in Translation

A friend recently told me about a huge argument he got into with his Turkish barber while getting his haircut.

My friend had just played paintball, and his Turkish barber claimed to love paintball as well. And yet, they seemed to disagree on almost every aspect of the game until his barber angrily insisted that there was absolutely no need for the use of a gun to play this game.

This further incited the argument until they FINALLY realized that due to their different accents, my friend was talking about paintball, while his barber thought they were talking about ping pong.

And THAT is what it means when something gets "lost in translation."

This happens all the time in life, in relationships, and especially in business. For example, I have had financial experts go on long explanations about 401k's, ROI's, ROTH-IRA's, EPS, IRR, etc. For them, it's like walking around their favorite amusement park pointing out the best rides, but for most people...their heads are spinning.

We all live in different universes, so unless we keep one very simple thing in mind, we'll never actually bridge the gap between our two worlds. And you do this by first answering the questions that they are already asking in their heads.

What is it going to do for me? How does this resolve my Pain? My fears? My doubts? How will this help my future?

When I feel that someone is really listening, trying to understand me, and is there to be my ally, it makes a world of difference in my ability to trust the path they're laying out for me.

When we choose to interact with clients this way, it gives us both more power because then we can speak directly to their true needs and they can feel truly served.

That's what I do for the people I work with. I listen deeply and base our work on what they really need and really want. When nothing gets lost in translation, it suddenly opens our work up to levels of potential that could never have been possible before.

If you would like to experience that for yourself, just give me a shout. Let's find your inspiration.