Billie Johnson, Vice President of New Client Results at Incept, interviews blood banks to see if they would like to become partners.
She assesses their strengths, weaknesses and needs in a face-to-face roundtable discussion and interview, known as Incept Listen. One of the many things Billie has to keep in mind during the interview is remaining objective.
Objectivity can be defined as being “undistorted by emotion or personal bias.” Being objective is especially important for honest business practices, and there are five ways to remain objective in discussions like the ones Billie facilitates:
- Don’t assume. Everyone’s situation and opinion is different. Remember, even in a business situation, not every customer’s need is the same.
- Keep an open mind. You may be the one conducting the interview, but that doesn’t mean that the other people around the table don’t have better ideas than you.
- Don’t expect everyone to agree with you. The sky could look orange-yellow to you and yellow-orange to someone else. It doesn’t mean either of your opinions are wrong, just different. Even in business, you can’t please everyone.
- Remember that you’re evaluating facts. You’re not evaluating your emotional reactions to said facts or to the people giving you the information.
- Be honest. If a blood bank is doing so well that there’s nothing Incept can offer, Billie is honest about that in her recommendations. She doesn’t try to sell something that they don’t need.
That fifth practice is what makes Incept unique! Many businesses will try to push their product, regardless of the need. How many businesses do you know that are willing to admit that their services aren’t needed?
Do you think that it is important to be objective?