"Asking for advice makes you look more competent and not less"
Asking for advice is an admission that you don't know the answer. Most people are reluctant to admit that they don't know something because they believe that they will appear as incompetent. The good news is, that is not how others will perceive you. By admitting you don't have an answer and asking for advice you come off seeming to be more intelligent according to a recent Harvard Business School study by Allison Wood.
Why does asking for advice have a positive effect on your reputation?
1. Asking for advice is a highly efficient way to gain knowledge. Your adviser may recognize this and believe you to be more intelligent for doing so.
2. Asking for advice can be interpreted as you having confidence. Your willingness to demonstrate vulnerability signals a confidence to take a risk.
3. Asking for advice is similar to a sincere compliment. Asking for advice strokes your adviser's ego. After all you must be pretty smart to be asking them for advice.
Bonus....by asking for advice people will often tell you how to make the sale. A young lady who took my Power Persuasion Course asked her client for some advice to make her presentation better? The client was more than happy to give her some advice. She expressed her great gratitude for his advice and made his recommended changes. She proudly took back her presentation with the changes to show him. The client was pleased and proud and gave her some business....beautiful!
When shouldn't I ask for advice?
When the answers are ridiculously obvious! Then you will just come off as seeming to be incompetent.
No comments:
Post a Comment