Your Prospects, Customers and Colleagues Secretly Hate This Question

One question I often hear from people I work with and sales people that call me is, "Does that make sense?"

The "askers" intent is to either (1) make sure the receiver understands what was said or (2) to use a transition phrase in order to stop talking.

People secretly hate this question because it makes them feel like they lack the smarts to comprehend what was said. It can come across as being condescending. (Even thought that's not your intent.)

When sales people ask me this question, I typically respond by saying "Yes, crystal clear" even though I'm not tracking and want to get off the phone. Admitting I don't understand doesn't feel good on the ego, especially in front of colleagues.

"Does that make sense?" also creates the perception that the "talker" is uncertain about the clarity of what was said.

Use these questions instead

Here are some questions you can use instead:

• "How does that sound?"
• "Geez, I'm starting to sound like that teacher from Ferris Bueller. Let me pause for a second. Is there anything you're still curious about?"
• "What do you think?"

Kicking the habit

One way to kick the "does that make sense" habit is to record your calls and then play them back. (You can do this with your iPhone). You might have to repeat this process a few times before you're able to kick the habit. An added benefit of recording yourself is that you might be surprised about other things you're saying that you'd like to correct. Professional athletes do this all the time to improve. You can to.