Who Said You Need To Have All The Answers?
Remember in school when you were afraid the teacher would call you out for that one question you didn’t know the answer to?
A question would be posed and you’d look down at your desk and frantically pray, “No, no, no, please don’t call on me. Not for this one. Please no, not me.” It can be traumatizing to some kids, if they live in fear they’ll look stupid in front of their peers.
Some adults still live with that same fear. Direct selling people and marketers are particularly vulnerable. What if someone asks you a question for which you don’t have the answer?
Here’s the thing, though: Who said, or where did you read that you need to have all the answers? Even if you’re a sponsor, team leader, Manager or Director, what is the worst that would happen if you uttered the words,
“I’m not sure, but I will find out and get back to you?”
We’re mostly all adults in this business, at least according to our driver’s license. Yet some people confuse being an independent business owner with being in school. No one is going to laugh and point and call you names if you don’t know the answer to something. Rather, it will likely make you look more human and approachable when others see that it’s ok if you don’t have all the answers.
Starting a new business can be scary. There is a lot to learn. But it’s not nuclear science and the good thing is there are no real emergencies. Meaning it’s not life and death and there is nothing so important that an immediate answer is necessary.
How to Respond When You Don’t Have The Answers
“I don’t know but I will find out” is a very good response. It shows your willingness to learn and to provide an accurate and timely response to a customer or downline member. You can also point someone in the right direction , for example, to some training, or get them to phone company support. Empower people to solve their problems.
Those who are too afraid to take risks will not go very far in this business. Risks don’t need to be massive with extensive consequences. They could be as simple as stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a chance that you will be okay if someone asks you a question to which you do not immediately know the answer.
Interestingly, some of us are perfectly fine telling our customers or team members that we don’t know the answer to something, but at all costs some people will avoid being in this situation with their peers.
Some leaders who are very comfortable around most people will do everything within their power to not meet with fellow leaders for fear of not knowing something. That is just crazy because fellow peers don’t have any direct influence or impact on your business, so who cares if you know or don’t know something about these people?
It sounds silly when you say it out loud, doesn’t it?
“I’d rather not put myself out there, talking with people because I might not know the answer to something and I don’t want to look stupid.”
If you are paralyzed with this feeling of not knowing answers to something, consider what advice you might give your child if she came home and told you she wasn’t doing very well in school because she didn’t want to raise her hand to answer a question. She was too afraid she might get the answer wrong.
Whatever advice you’d give a child on this subject, give it to yourself too. Then watch your business grow.
I hope you got some value from todays post, Who Said You Need To Have All The Answers? If you did feel free to leave me a comment below and share it with anyone you think may need it.
Have a great day
The Reawakened Entrepreneur,
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Email me at Lyndakonline@gmail.com
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A great article today. I remember when started out and even after a year or two I was so panicked invade I got asked something I didn’t know and it held me back big time!
When I finally realised I didn’t need to know it all I quickly relaxed into it all and helped more people by not knowing, as I helped them and myself to find out!
Thanks again Lynda a great reminder to all that you don’t have to have all the answers!
Thanks Matt. Years ago when I became a manager I believed I should have the answers and be the expert. Through trial, error and experience you soon realise that you don’t have to know everything. It takes the pressure off and makes us human . Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I used to suffer from this… had to know everything… paralysis of analysis… thanks for sharing Lynda..
I used to myself many years ago when I first became a Manager Ron. It takes good leadership to admit you don’t know everything and have the confidence to say so.
Great share Lynda love this post and how you laid out it’s ok not to know all the answers. Heck nobody knows it all.
Thanks Dereco, glad you liked it. You are right, nobody knows it all.
Some great wisdom in this post!! Thank you!!
Thank you Jeremy- appreciate it
Hey Lynda, you are right, no need to know all the answers, you can point people back to resources where they figure out the answers :)
Absolutely Vitaliy. Showing people where to find what they are looking for is a much better way. Thanks for stopping by and commenting