Have you ever been about to reach out to a potential customer—and then talked yourself out of it?
What if they ask a question I can’t answer? What if I don’t explain it right? What if I’m not ready?
I was talking with our sales team about this recently. The more we talked, the more I realized how often we do this in other parts of our lives, too.
We wait to make the call. Pitch the idea. Reach out to a potential partner. Have a conversation with someone on our team.
We expect ourselves to have answers to questions nobody has even asked us yet.
On this episode of DMJ 1 on 1, I explore why you don’t have to know everything to get started—and how curiosity, honest answers, and follow-through can help you take the next step.
Watch this episode of DMJ 1 on 1.
Prepare Enough to Begin
Preparation matters. Know why you’re reaching out. Understand enough about the topic to have a useful conversation. Respect the other person’s time.
But give yourself permission to learn something during the conversation.
You can’t know every customer’s needs before you ask. You can’t anticipate every concern an employee might raise. You can’t fully understand a potential partner’s priorities without hearing from them.
At some point, the conversation itself becomes part of the preparation.
That can be uncomfortable, especially if you think your job is to show up with every answer. But your first responsibility may be to understand the problem well enough to figure out what comes next.
You need enough preparation to begin—and enough curiosity to listen.
Start With a Useful Question
Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to deliver the perfect pitch when a good question would get us further.
If you’re reaching out to a potential customer, you could ask:
“What are you trying to accomplish over the next few months?”
If you’re leading a team member:
“What’s getting in the way, and how can I help?”
If you’re exploring a business idea:
“Is this a problem you actually experience?”
These questions give the other person room to tell you something useful. Then your job is to listen and ask a follow-up question.
You might discover that the thing you were worried about explaining isn’t even what they need.
That’s valuable information. And you probably weren’t going to find it by spending another hour rehearsing your pitch.
Have a Plan for What You Don’t Know
What happens if someone asks a question you can’t answer?
You can say that.
Try something like: “That’s a good question. I don’t know the answer yet, but I can find out and get back to you.”
You may need to do some research, talk with someone on your team, or bring in someone with more experience. That’s a reasonable next step.
The important part is following through.
You don’t have to pretend to know everything. You do have to do what you said you would do.
Before the conversation ends, agree on what happens next:
- What needs to happen?
- Who is responsible for doing it?
- When will you reconnect?
That turns an unanswered question into a clear commitment. It also gives you a specific reason to follow up.
Simple Is Not the Same as Easy
The process can be pretty simple.
Reach out. Ask questions. Listen. Agree on a next step. Follow through.
But I say this a lot: simple is not the same as easy.
Hitting send can feel uncomfortable. Making the call takes effort. Hearing “not right now” can be discouraging. Following up takes discipline.
Knowing the process doesn’t remove that discomfort.
Sometimes we keep preparing because preparing feels safer than putting ourselves out there. There is always another thing to read, another detail to check, or another way to revise the message.
Be honest with yourself: Do you need more information, or do you need to do the next thing?
The answer won’t always be the same. Sometimes you really do need to prepare more. But sometimes you already have enough to begin.
Pick One Conversation You’ve Been Putting Off
Think about one conversation you’ve delayed because you don’t feel ready.
It might be a potential customer, someone you could collaborate with, or a team member you need to check in with.
Ask yourself:
- Why does this conversation matter?
- What is one useful question I could ask?
- When will I reach out?
Make the next step small enough and specific enough that you’ll actually do it.
Put it on the calendar. Send the message. Make the call.
You don’t have to know everything to start the conversation. But you do have to start it.
Take the Next Step With Your Marketing
The same hesitation can show up in your marketing. You know you need to move forward, but you aren’t sure where to begin.
Our Visibility Roadmap audits your physical and digital marketing, identifies gaps, and shows you how to address them—with or without our help implementing the plan.
