Yeah, me too. It sucks.

But here’s the thing: We’re doing it all wrong.

I used to think selling ideas was about being the smoothest talker in the room.

Boy, was I wrong.

It’s not about talking.

It’s about listening.

Remember that client who seemed impossible to please? The one who shot down every suggestion?

They’re not the problem. We are.

Because we’re not really hearing them.

We waltz in with our fancy presentations, thinking we know what they need.

But do we?

Have we actually asked?

Here’s a wild idea: What if we shut up and listened?

I mean really listened.

Not just waiting for our turn to speak.

What if we approached every client like a mystery to be solved?

Imagine being a detective, not a salesperson.

Your job?

To uncover what they really need.

Not what you think they need.

It’s not rocket science.

I once had a client who kept rejecting our rebranding ideas.

Frustrating, right?

But then I stopped trying to persuade them.

Instead, I got curious.

I dug into their annual reports.

I stalked their social media.

I even chatted with the employees I found on Glassdoor.

And you know what?

I discovered problems they didn’t even know they had.

When I walked into that next meeting, I wasn’t selling a rebrand.

I was offering solutions to their actual problems.

The result?

They practically begged us to work with them.

So here’s the deal:

Stop trying to be clever. Start being curious.

Don’t assume. Investigate.

Don’t pitch. Listen.

It’s not about your brilliant ideas. It’s about their pressing needs.

Can you set aside your ego and really hear what they’re saying?

Can you resist the urge to impress and focus on how you can truly help?

If you can, you’ll never have to “sell” an idea again.

Your ideas will sell themselves.

Because they’ll be exactly what your client needs.

Not what you think they want.

So, ready to become an idea detective or investigative journalist?

Your next client meeting isn’t a pitch.

It’s an investigation.

Go in curious and in student mode.

Soon enough, you’ll distinguish between knowledge and wisdom.

Are you up for the challenge?