Perspectives That Serve # 19 - Realism

Realism is the third leg of the triangle that goes with optimism and pessimism. Pessimism asks a very valuable question, “What could go wrong?”. Optimism asks a very valuable question, “How can I contribute toward a preferred future?” Realism asks the question, “What exactly is happening in this situation?” Getting good reality is critical to making good decisions in life and business.

Optimists, all too often, see a preferred future and hallucinate that it is happening. Reality is not what you wish to happen. Pessimists do just the opposite. All too often they see what could go wrong and hallucinate that it is happening. Reality is not what you fear is happening. Optimism and Pessimism are both valuable perspectives as I have already said in previous posts. But realism is critical. If you’re not seeing reality, your actions and responses will always be inappropriate in the marketplace.

Servant Selling begins with getting reality. Your ability to see clearly what is going on with your client/customer defines your ability to add value. And adding value is the bottom line in Servant Selling.