Loading Imagine that you are with a large group of people that has been dropped into the middle of no where. Fortunately, you each have a map so that you can figure out how to get back to civilization. Unfortunately, each map is different, and there is no way of telling which map is the closest to being correct.
Welcome to life, my friend.
When Matt and I get frustrated at people we try to remind each other that they are looking at a different “map of the world” than us. Each experience in their life has etched a spot into their map. The core beliefs they are taught as a child have influenced this map. Their successes, their failures, the happy times, and the sad times.
So, any time they are presented with a situation, they make decisions based upon their map of the world, whether that map is the correct map or not. Like the abused girl who grows up to marry an abusive husband. Some say she should know better. Others realize that she knows no different. As far as she is concerned, that is all that she has ever known. It is her comfort zone.
In business we must realize that each of our prospects and customers come to us with a different map of the world and we must decipher the legend for their map if we are to truly communicate with them on their level. In sales training this might be presented as DISC or another personality type test. However, a person’s map of the world is so much more than a personality type.
And when differences come up, we must remember that other’s maps do not match ours. They simply look at the world in a different way…and maybe remembering that can help us to provide better service to those around us.
