I was watching a movie on Neftlix last night
The story starts with a young guy in 1950s Germany who has an affair with an older woman. Every time they’re together, she asks him to read to her before they end up in bed.
One day she receives a promotion at her job that will take her from collecting fares on the tram to an office position.
She moves out and leaves town the next day.
So a few years later, this young man is in law school and he’s attending a war crimes trial of Nazi guards—including, as it turns out, the woman he had an affair with years before!
During the trial she admits to what she did as well as implicating the other guards on the dock. To protect themselves, they claim she was the ringleader and gave the order and wrote a report on how they burned 300 Jews in a church.
The judge hands her a blank piece of paper and a pen, telling her to write something so he can compare it to an order on file and see if she wrote the report and gave the order.
She stares at the blank page… and then confesses she orderd everything.
The young man at this time then remembers how during their affair she never read a thing.
And in fact he realises.. she is illiterate and innocent and so could never have written that order.
But in court she confesses to writing the order and is sentenced to life (compared to 4 years for the other guards).
Why?
Simply she is ashamed of her inability to read and write that she would rather be known as a war criminal than illiterate.
And she pays being sentenced to life to keep that secret.
And its not unusual.
It happens every day with prospects and customers.
A hidden fear or shame that stops them from taking our solution or any solution that would put them in a much better position.
Like a patient suffering from cavities but refusing to see a Dentist because he doesn’t want to hear the flossing lecture once again.
I remember one owner telling me when she speaks to other advisors and consultants they can come off making her feel stupid.
By their attitude and the unspoken…”Boy the solution is obvious to your problem”
Even if they do not wish to communicate it that way.
So, even though your solutions might be perfect for them, your prospects might never say yes because they’re embarrassed.
And so it’s up to you to communicate it’s ok and nothing to be embarrassed about.
Like we converse with each other in the Owners’ Table.
Nothing is ever too obvious or easy.
We are simply there to support and help each other.
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