Are you cursed? probably…

Do you ever feel cursed? Alarm doesn’t go off, socks or shoes are missing, a great employee or colleague quits all of a sudden.

Maybe you can’t sleep, your mind is spinning all night, you wake up groggy and grumpy.

Those are sure unpleasant but, really, you’ll get your mojo back soon enough.

The kind of curse I’m talking about is the curse of knowledge.

What?

How can being knowledgeable be a curse?

It can be when you know something so well that you find it extremely difficult to imagine what it is like to not know it.

The good news is that you don’t have to…

take a salt bath, smudge yourself or set up a magic mirror to break the curse!

Aren’t you relieved?

You’ve been a victim yourself.

Think about the time your eyes glazed over while your IT team was telling you about the latest updates.

Or remember the time you suddenly remembered to pick up a pizza on the way home even while the web designer was going on about click through rates and SEO.

There was that other time when the CPA was explaining tax efficiencies and you spaced out.

Each of those experts were falling prey to their own curse of knowledge.

They know so much, and they forget what it’s like to not know that much. When they go deep, your mind goes elsewhere.

I’m sorry to say, you do this too!

Go on and on about details of your work that you love, and you forget that to people on the outside, its  JUST. TOO. MUCH.

They don’t want to know the ins and outs of what you do.

They want to know that you can and will change their lives.

That when you apply your deep knowledge, you will help them experience life changing differences that mean a lot to them.

How do you learn that—to deliver life changing differences that mean a lot to them?

First—you ask them!

Yep, you ask them about their issue/problem/need.

And you listen.

Listen to understand.

Listen to the plain facts and listen to the emotions behind those facts.

Ask questions to be sure you understand.

  • What would it mean to you if we solved that problem?
  • Talk about the impact it would have on your life if we fulfilled that need.
  • What difference would it make if we answered that question?

Strange as it may seem, it’s better to keep your knowledge to yourself in these conversations.

When you talk, they stop thinking, they stop feeling, they stop imagining getting value from you.

A talented accountant, Eli, found this out the hard way.

A business owner client asked hm for help writing a 2 year financial plan.

Eli got so excited! “Wow, this is my thing!” he thought.

And he began pouring his knowledge out right in the face of the business owner.

Suddenly the owner stopped him said, “Thanks, but I need to think about it!”

And ghosted the accountant.

Eli was crestfallen. As he told me the story during our Think Tank, I could see him deflate right in front of my eyes.

After hearing him, and pausing a moment, I asked if he had asked the business owner what was important to him about a two year plan?

Eli sat back in shock. “Why no, I didn’t” he said.

And then trailed off as realization dawned on him.

He’d been cursed by his knowledge!

His knowledge would allow him to help the owner do great things. But that conversation was not the time to share it. It was time to listen and to hear.

By listening and hearing, Eli would be able to deliver life changing differences the owner actually wanted.

There’s good news!

You can push that curse of knowledge right down by using our client conversation tools, the Issue Chart and the Continuum of Impact.

No spells or magic potions needed.

They’re online here.

What will it take for you to try them out?

Are you cursed by your knowledge?

Avoid the curse!

Get the tools.

Book a Think Tank to get practice overcoming the curse of knowledge.

Connect or follow me on LinkedIn.

Text Curse to 703-901-0345 if you don’t know where to start.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Articles

Get off the ground floor!

A long time business owner with a track record of many successes told me he’s planning a pivot. He’ll apply his knowledge and expertise to

Read More

IMPACT Based Pricing

Subscribe to IMPACT Based Pricing, TCG’s original content newsletter that helps Business Owners and Executives understand everything about pricing for impact, not for inputs.