How many times has this story happened to you?
I interviewed a young, energetic woman who seemed to have a lack of experience, but her enthusiasm was exciting, so I ended up hiring her for no other reason than to give a shot in the arm to the rest of the team, who seemed boring by comparison. I think she has a lot to learn, but at least she will make up for that in ambition and eagerness. A week after she starts, she is in my office with a great new idea to pursue a client or a group of clients. What she does not realize is that this idea is not new at all; every single one of her predecessors has tried the same thing and had poor results. I smile and shake my head and try to explain, without deflating her excitement, how that idea is probably not the best. She does not take the hint; the details of my subtlety are lost on her because she is just so excited to try her new idea. So I finally gave up and let her try anyway. Here we go again; I will talk to you next month and review the results, I say as she bounces out the door to take on the world. I was that kid once, I remark as I return to work.
In a few weeks, a shorter time than expected, she comes running into the office. Good news! Her idea worked. She is ecstatic as I stare dumbfounded. She is thanking me profusely as if I actually did something. She is off and running. A year later, she is working for the largest company in our territory and making the most money. She landed the whale that no one else could. Has this happened to you? I am sure it has. It has happened to me in both directions. I was the young hot shot to win big when no one else could, and I have been the old dude in the office behind a computer and rolling my eyes at any new proposal that comes my way.
What is going on here? This happens way too often to be a coincidence. Many others try and die at something, and then the new person comes along, and it all falls into place for them. To help themselves feel better, the ones who failed previously like to pretend that they “loosened things up for you.” The reality is that is rarely the case, especially in something like sales. What usually happens is that the new person brings a fresh perspective, motivation, and enthusiasm, and they are too naive to know if what they are doing is right or wrong. Because of this, they are willing to try the most basic approaches, and due to changing circumstances, the basic approach wins. In the sales example, the client that no one could break into is suddenly willing to talk to the new person because they are now ready to speak, but also because the new person did not let any preconceived notions get in the way of action.
I remember one woman who was able to get into a conversation with a really large and intimidating company when none of her predecessors could. They all would roll their eyes and give out a million reasons why she was not going to succeed. When she got her first major meeting with them and consequently won a large contract, everyone shut up really fast. They were now envious and started calling her lucky. The reality is she was willing to do the thing no one else was willing to do: pick up the phone and call one of the critical people at that company and ask for their business. It was hard work afterward, but that straightforward approach worked.
So, never underestimate the power of naivety. Never underestimate bringing in the underdog who has nothing to lose. Always ask everyone in the room for their thoughts on a subject. You never know when the naive will see things from a new angle, come at the solution with no preconceived notions, and bring that desperately needed fresh perspective.
