A few days ago I wrote about the issue of science and soft science.
Yesterday I had occasion to think back to that post. Yesterday I attended a training session for a CRM program. I want to know how to use the software and they tried to tell me about a philosophy. I had a few irritations – in the first instance they want everybody to run their business in the same way. I don’t have the same business as the person selling widgets every day. I cannot cross sell, because I have only one product. Unless I change my goals completely, I don’t want a 1000 clients. I managed to keep my irritation and frustration in check.
Then the whole thing dwindled down to sales training and the presenter saying to one person “that will not work. You HAVE to do it like this.” That is when I lost control and just had to ask: “Is this exact science, like 1+1 = 2, or is it soft science and it is an opinion? Obviously the delegate has been selling successfully, so how can you say it does not work? How can you say cold calling does not work? I venture to say that there is the same number of books saying cold calling does not work as those that say cold calling does work.” Then the story changed – “I never said ..” Which is interesting, because that is what you said right now. “But if you do what we say and you cold call …” There is a vast difference between saying cold calling does not work and calling calling is hard work and not the most effective way to get clients! I think you would agree with that.
And when I left Cape Town and 45 minutes after getting into my car I have only gone 1.7km’s, that’s when I decided I really wasted my time.
Now I feel better – thanks. But the lesson is still there. Perhaps we should encourage people to be more honest. What about: “In my opinion …” or “In my experience …” or “There are other ways of doing it, but you can also try this …”
The problem with many of these categorical statements, is that it denies personalities, skills, training, comfort zones, background and a lot of other variables. For instance, I am not a very sociable person. I do not have a lot of friends and I prefer not to do business with friends. I am not good at small talk. I am not interested in rugby. You cannot fit me into the same mould as the outgoing guy who is the soul of the party and makes friends with everybody. The problem is – people try and present their case as fact, truth, gospel. And we believe them, because they are the experts.
I know what the effect can be – because on more than one occasion I have taken opinion as exact science, because that is how it is presented. And I have lost hugely in the process.
To protect ourselves against this, let’s do the following:
Ask about the assumptions that have to hold true for a statement to be true and correct. Ask yourself if it is laboratory science, or an opinion (hopefully) based on experience. Ask yourself if what ever is said can be exclusively true. In other words, 1+1 = 2. That excludes any other possibility. On the other hand, cold calling, sending out pamphlets, attending network meetings does not have to be exclusive activities, in fact, it is probably a very good idea to do al of them.
Beware of anything that is presented as exclusive. The moment somebody tells you that property is a better investment than shares – “run, Forest, run” (with apologies to Forest Gump).
Be careful when people make their own likes and dislikes the norm, like “SMS does not work, because I feel it is an intrusion of my privacy.” It is an absolutely valid point, but not neceserrily generally applicable and definetly in all circumstances.
Never just accept anything at face value, listen critically. That, as I have said many times, includes everything you read on The Blue Roof.
But is it science? It seems like a nonsense question, the problem is somebody else’s opinion presented as fact can cost YOU money!