“You’re giving me incomplete information.”
That’s what a waiter said to my mum, in a café, over a bacon sandwich order, the other week. Bless her.
Mum was looking at the menu and had a very simple request. She wanted a bacon sandwich. Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated. Just a bacon sandwich.
She asked the waiter if they could make one for her, and he said yes. So far, so good. But then he started asking questions. What kind of bread would she like? Did she want butter? Sauce? Would she like anything else on it?
Now, my mum is not always the world’s best communicator when she’s put on the spot. The more questions he asked, the more flustered she became. Eventually, the waiter looked at her and said it, straight-faced.
“I want to help you, but you’re giving me incomplete information.”
It was an incredibly useful phrase, and it’s one that I think applies in any form of customer service, including running a business.
How can we give someone the right answer if we do not have all the information? How can we solve a problem if we do not fully understand what the problem actually is?
So many business owners become focused on selling the solution that they forget to ask enough questions about the problem. We hear one thing, make an assumption about what someone needs, and immediately start explaining how our service, product or program can help.
But what if we’ve misunderstood the problem?
What if the client cannot articulate exactly what they need because they do not have the language for it yet? What if they’re giving us what appears to be incomplete information because they’re nervous, overwhelmed or simply unsure where to start?
This is where connection matters.
The best client conversations are not interrogations. They are not a checklist of questions designed to get someone to the point where you can deliver your pitch. They are conversations that create enough trust for someone to tell you what is really going on.
Sometimes you need to ask another question. Sometimes you need to sit with the silence rather than rushing to fill it. And sometimes, when you’re not getting the information you need, you need to look at how you’re asking for it.
If a potential client isn’t responding to your message, isn’t understanding the value of your offer, or isn’t taking the action you hoped they would, the problem might not be your solution. It might be the way you’re communicating it.
Are you speaking to the problem they’re actually experiencing, rather than the one you assume they have? Are you creating enough connection for them to feel heard before you try to convince them that you can help?
We need to stop becoming so obsessed with selling the solution.
Your job is not simply to tell people what you offer. Your job is to understand the person in front of you well enough to help them see the path forward.
And sometimes, the solution is already perfect.
You simply need to learn how to communicate it in a way that makes the right person finally say, “Yes. That’s exactly what I need.”
Janine x