How to Make Your Audience Feel Heard and Understood in ONE Sentence

Have you ever been in a situation or conversation where someone asked you a question, you then gave an answer, and then that person responded by restating what they thought you just said—but their version was actually not what you said at all?

Well, if you’re human, this has likely happened in your life.

In the business world, it happens more than we realize.

For sales professionals, leaders, managers, team members, etc.—it’s a problem.

A problem that hurts company cultures, kill sales, and removes trust.

But by adding one simple question though, we can eliminate this misunderstanding 99% of the time.

Did I Get That Right?

What is the question?

Well, it has multiple forms, but the most common looks like this:

“Did I get that right?”

Here are some alternatives:

“Did I understand you correctly?”

“Did I phrase that accurately?”

“Does this capture your main concerns?”

As you can see, it’s essentially the same question every time, yet their impact is significant.

The application of such a question, of course, happens when we are trying to understand someone else’s situation, need, problem, etc.

For sales professionals, this is generally referred to as “discovery.”

Some other common names are:

·????? Needs analysis

·????? Client diagnosis

·????? Qualifying

·????? Consultative questioning

·????? Customer exploration

For leaders and managers, this question is generally applied in the following?

·????? Performance review

·????? Performance check-in

·????? Coaching session

·????? One-on-one

·????? Developmental dialogue

In my experience helping organizations enhance their communication impact to make deeper connections with their audience(internally and externally), most professionals, believe it or not, don’t ask this question.

The Power of "Authentic Discovery"

In fact, most don’t even get to the point where they could answer this question.

Why?

Because they lack the deep curiosity (and skills) necessary during the discovery/ understanding phase of connecting with a peer or prospect.

In other words, the sales professional might ask a few surface level questions, but quickly moves into the “pitch.”

The leader/manager, much like the salesperson, asks a few fluffy, non-thought-inducing questions and then moves into telling their team member where they might improve.

This is why EVERY professional needs to be taught three fundamental skills if they want to create the trust, connections, and impact they are truly capable of:

Skill #1: The art of asking effective questions to create deep discovery.

Skill #2: The act of repeating to the person or persons what you just heard them say.

Skill #3: The act of confirming you understood them correctly. (Did I get that right?)

The name for this in the scientific or health world is often referred to as “reflective listening” or “mirroring”—but I’ve never loved those phrases as they may be misunderstood as being disingenuous. Personally, I like to use the phrase “Authentic Discovery,” but what matters most here isn't the name but rather that you’re able to reflect on whether or not you’re applying this to your life and your relationships.

As humans, we tend to think we understand people better than we do.

I’ve fallen trap to this many, many times in my life.

But we don't fall into this assumption when we get very intentional about these three steps.

Even better, we make connections and breakthroughs that were never there before.

So my question for you is simple:

• Do you, as a leader, sales professional, or friend/family member, follow this 3-step process?
• Do you consistently achieve authentic discovery personally and professionally?

If you do, your impact on those around you will be unlimited.

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Are you looking to create more authentic discovery for your organization's leaders and managers? Do you want your sales team to connect more with their prospects? If so, I can help. Reach out today.