SalesFreak

Last week, in my InterviewFreak post, I suggested that it was important to be honest about your weaknesses in a job interview.

Today, I was reading the blog for Made to Stick, a fantastic book about persuasion and how to effectively communicate ideas. In their most recent post, Credibility from Stating the Obvious, the Heath brothers explain why openly admitting weaknesses helps you build trust. This is true when discussing our own limitations or those of our ideas, products or services. In the excerpt below, the authors describe how this process works is sales.

"We’ve all come across salespeople who are reluctant to admit any weakness in their product or service, no matter how insignificant.  As many a sales guru has pointed out, building trust involves being candid, and being candid involves admitting that your products aren’t flawless. Admitting weakness can, oddly enough, make your core ideas more powerful."

We all have weaknesses, limitations and problems. Trying to hide them just makes us look dishonest. It hurts us in job interviews and in sales presentations.

Remember, nobody is perfect. We're all freaks in our own way. It's time to get comfortable with that. In fact, we need to go beyond admitting our weaknesses and start flaunting them. When we do, it builds trust and makes our ideas and our selves "more powerful."

Comments

[David Rendall]

Eric,

Great question, even though you were joking. Check out the IronFreak post for an answer. I think it is OK to be an addict, you just need to be addicted to the right thing.

Great point about this applying to social situations. Humility is probably the right word for it and that does help us connect with others. As a student said in class the other day "Our weaknesses are what makes us human."

I'm glad you are enjoying the blog. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Dave

[Eric]

And what if your weakness is drinking on the job??

In all seriousness, great post. I have also heard this principle of disclosing weakness can apply to social situations, even if it's not sales related. When set up in the proper context, admitting your weaknesses to a person you have just met (and without looking ashamed!) shows sincerity, uniqueness, and vulnerability. It prompts the other person to show their own weaknesses, and allows a true personal connection to happen.

Keep it coming, can't wait to get the book!

[dan heath]

dave, thanks for the post! great point about the application the job interview context. admitting your weaknesses (as long as they aren't say, embezzling, or failing to show up very often for work) makes your strengths all the more credible.

[Michael Lowstetter]

I think Dave and the authors of Make it Stick are exactly right.

I have a friend who before commenting on or revealing a weakness of theirs says, "Self disclosure is good for the soul but bad for the reputation." I actually disagree...well to a point. There are some things that are very negative to share about your product or yourself. "Oh yeah this product we have put together to help your car run better. Yeah it does not do that at all, it actually makes it run worse." Ok bad for the reputation. But that is not what we are talking about.

What I have found in life is that admitting your weaknesses is a good way to make everyone around relieved. Really! Think about it, we all have people we know that we could more effectively point out their weaknesses than maybe they could.

What I have seen when I have admitted my weaknesses to those closest to me is a deep sigh of relief! Seriously I have actually seen them do that. And the reason is they are relieved that they do not have to tell me or approach me about this problem area. They can finally relax a little and say great I don't have to tell him about that, he already knows.

People more than likely have already identified the weakness YOU have. You admitting to them just let’s them know that you see them too!

[Joel Rodell]

Great information Mr. Rendall!

I've made the mistake of presenting my products and services as perfect and set myself up for failure in the process. When my products break or my services are late, the expectation that I've set is far from perfect. Being honest about your shortcomings up front can save a lot of stress moving forward.