How to Gain Clarity
Posted by Ka-Lok Ho
It all begins with empathy.
Empathy is the key.
Be a good listener. We all want to be heard.
This goes for business problems as well as personal issues.
In your next client meeting, put your own agenda aside. Instead of waiting to talk, instead of waiting to provide a solution, be interested, ask better questions and you may come to realise the problem at hand isn’t actually the real pain point, but there’s something more substantial at play.
Learning to empathise will help you solve problems more efficiently, it will position yourself as the expert by letting the subject know you can understand and relate to their issue.
Think about it for your customers. If you’re having trouble developing your content, it’s likely because you’re not listening to what your customers are saying.
If you have upward of 500 followers, and these should be engaged followers, they should be speaking to you regularly. They will be telling you their issues, they are telling you what they want to see, they are letting you know what they want more of, or less of. If you’re listening, your content will address all those things. If you’re doing it right, it should be a self-sustaining machine – you don’t need to develop concepts because they are telling you what content they want to see.
Empathising is beneficial for both parties. Speak less, listen more. Ask better questions.
You can’t be heard until you learn to hear.
But empathy doesn’t just mean understanding. It also means to be understood. This is where vulnerability comes in.
Vulnerability is the difficult part of the equation.
Vulernability is a talent. Break up the word —
Vulner - ABILITY.
I do like word play, but it’s true, opening yourself up is hard, and it will take practice.
By sharing your story, your truth, even the unpolished flawed sides, and leaning into what makes you (or your brand), you, is what will make it relatable and authentic.
Why do reality TV shows do well? Because people want truth. People want stories and an opinion.
When you lean into your true self and tell your story, you no longer need to waste time with the bravado, because you already have an inherent brand story. So tell that story.
By opening yourself up, you allow others to open up to you.
With just a little bit of truth, you’ll be surprised how much value you will receive in return, and how clear what you need to be doing becomes.
Empathy (listening, understanding) + Vulnerability (sharing, revealing, opening up) = Clarity.
It’s as easy as E+V=C.
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