Leave something for the client to say

Many of us are conditioned, while growing up at school, that solving problems means having all the answers. Later in life this manifests in our telling clients what we know. (And using big words like 'manifests' instead of 'comes out'!) We try, pre-sale, to impress clients with our knowledge, instead of our consultation skills.

That's why it's better to balance our talking with behaviours that encourage clients to speak. Leave something for them to say. Do this by offering brief points-of-view then asking a thought-provoking question. Listen intently to their answer. Rinse and repeat.

Silence and giving attention are helpful practices to break the know-how habit; they help you better understand clients in the short term and yourself the long.

Related post: Empathy before problem-solving