Practical Sales Training™ > How People Work > The Curse of Knowledge
What is it?
The Curse of Knowledge is our inability to to “unknow” things once we know them. Once we have a fixed understanding or viewpoint on something, it can be very difficult to change it.
Why does it work?
Once we know and understand something we often stay stuck to that perspective. This works for you if you can educate your clients about your products and services to set their knowledge point, but can work against you if your clients have a negative view of your offering.
How can you use it?
If you want to engage with your clients, sometimes you need to challenge their thinking. Is there a particular stigma, opinion or thought about your product or service? If so you can confront this “Curse of Knowledge” head on to engage your buyer and to change their perception.
Our work at Clear Sales Message can sometimes be considered to be “The Emperor’s New Clothes” as there is a level of intangibility to the services we provide. As such, there is a page in our book entitled “Isn’t this all the Emperor’s New Clothes?”.
Example of The Curse of Knowledge:
You sell electric cars.
A potential buyer says, “They don’t work in cold weather.”
They’ve heard this once, and now believe it as fact.
To overcome this Curse of Knowledge, you might say:
“That used to be true for early models, but the latest batteries are tested to perform in sub-zero temperatures. Here’s what’s changed…”
By calmly educating and updating their mental “reference point,” you reset their perspective – and create space for them to buy.
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