Friend of the list and daily emailer Kevin Freidberg wrote about the No Idea Phobia, the fear to —when writing daily—go out of ideas on what to write next.
His title though, made me think of another kind of No-Idea-Phobia. The one that’s present in the backburner of our heads as consultants and entrepreneurs: to not be able to say “I have no idea, let’s figure it out together” in a new scenario with your prospects and clients.
Because you believe saying “I have NO idea”:
- Might not be seen as professional.
- Might not show your expertise (so you pitch for free)
- Might make you lose the deal
- Might push you to the back of the room
- Might show you don’t know what you’re talking about
Here’s the thing
Saying you have no idea can become a great advantage point for you:
- It’ll show you’re honest (and being honest builds trust) on your capabilities.
- It’ll open new windows to go deeper and explore the root of the problem.
- It’ll give you and your client a chance to find out —together— what’s the thing they’re really after.
- It’ll make you more of an expert.
- It’ll give you a better understanding of what the value of the project is.
Go say you have no idea.
It’s a great way to explore, probe and release the creative side of what you can do for your clients.