Talking to Strangers
Talking to Strangers
Lessons learned
People assume others are honest because society doesn't work otherwise. That bias is useful most of the time and dangerous the rest.
I can't read a stranger's inner state from their face. Nervous people look guilty, calm liars look honest. I stopped trusting my gut read in first meetings.
Behavior is tied to a place and a context. Change the setting and the behavior changes, which is why the same prospect acts differently on a call and in person.
The cost of misreading someone is high, so I ask one more question before I decide who they are.
Someone whose demeanor doesn't match their intent gets misjudged constantly. I try to remember that when a buyer seems off.
Who should read it
Anyone whose job is meeting new people and sizing them up fast. It will make you less sure, and that's the point.
