The Rashomon Effect

Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking, “What a great meeting” only to discover later on that the prospect did NOT see it that way???

What happened??Why the disconnect???

Hold that thought!

I’m a big fan of Samurai movies; especially those produced in the 1950s and early 1960s.?My favorite director in this genre is?Akira Kurosawa who produced legendary movies like Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961),?Kagemusha (1980), and Ran (1985) which are now considered classics.

But the one movie that has had the most lasting effect on me was Rashomon (1950).?

In the movie, four people witness a murder and are called before the authorities to recount their version of what happened.?The four people tell four different stories and each person is sure (certain) that their version is the correct version of what happened.??

The movie highlights how unreliable our memory, recollection, or perception can be.??

In business (sales) we see ‘The Rashomon Effect’ far too often.?

For example, we deliver a product presentation and we think it went well, only to lose the deal later to a competitor.?

Or, during a business meeting, we answered questions effectively and received great feedback only later on to be kicked out of a bidding process.

In the movie, the four people are interviewed to give their versions; recount what they witnessed.? It’s up to the authority to determine which version (or conflated version) is corrected.

In business and in sales, the only way to avoid being a victim of the Rashomon Effect is to interview the stakeholders individually.? By interview, I mean calling them afterward and getting their take on the meeting.??Ask questions like:?

• How did s/he perceive the meeting???
• What were the big takeaways??
• Did we fail to cover something?
• What did your colleagues think??
• How likely is this to move to the next phase???

As a manager, when a salesperson reports back that the meeting went great, be supportive but skeptical.?Ask questions like:

• How do you know it went well?
• Have you collected feedback from the attendees or stakeholders?
• If so, what did they say?

We’ve been told repeatedly, “Never care about what others think of you.”?In business, we need to make an exception!??

Victor Antonio

#rashomon #ghosted #salesmeetings #stakeholders #feedback