Don't Be D.U.M.B. (Don't Understand My Business)

You might think your customer is being difficult...

But they probably just think you don't understand their business.

Let's be real. Too many entrepreneurs and salespeople launch into talking about what they do, what their product can deliver, and why they're so great.

Meanwhile, the potential customer is quietly thinking:

"You clearly don't get what I'm dealing with." "You sound like everyone else." "You must be one of them, a pushy salesperson."

And once you've been put in that box... it's almost impossible to get out.

What D.U.M.B. Really Means

D.U.M.B. = Don't Understand My Business.

It's the silent judgment that kills trust before a sale ever starts. When you skip understanding your prospect's world (their pressures, customers, and day-to-day frustrations), everything you say after that feels irrelevant.

No one wants to buy from someone who doesn't "get it."

The Smart Move: Be Curious, Not Clever

Instead of proving how much you know, show how much you care.

Ask questions like:

→ "What's been the biggest change in your business this year?"

→ "If you could fix just one thing in your process, what would it be?"

→ "How do you measure success in this area?"

The goal isn't to impress them. It's to understand them. That's how you move from being D.U.M.B. to being S.M.A.R.T.: Someone Making A Real Transformation.

My Challenge to You This Week

Before your next pitch, post, or proposal, pause and ask yourself:

"Do I truly understand their business, or am I assuming I do?"

The difference between being "just another salesperson" and being a trusted advisor often comes down to one thing: understanding.

Have you ever had someone try to sell you something and clearly not understand your business? What did they miss that could've changed your opinion?

This article first appeared in my LinkedIn newsletter, Approachable Entrepreneurship.

Want to be the one who gets it?

The N.I.C.E. method starts with Notice: understanding their world before talking about yours. How to Sell When You Hate to Sell walks you through it, one curious question at a time.

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Keep reading: I Vomited All Over Him, what happens when even the expert forgets to ask first.