There are two main reasons that people will not learn. You’re going to have people that are either angry or sad. Think about how much baggage comes along in an environment. Let’s say you’re having a conversation with a loved one about, you know, an issue that’s coming up.
When anger comes up, it’s crucial that you understand when it comes up. Anger is typically a result of somebody living in the past or a trigger that’s gone off. If they’re not with you now, they’re probably not listening to you right now.
When anger comes up in somebody, they’re gone. As they say now, physically, they may be there, but we’re talking about mentally. So you need to understand that when you’re using engaged learning, the only way to make sure both parties are in the room at the same time is to make sure they’re in.
How do we break the cycle? Break the switch and get people out of the past. These are two super simple techniques for dealing with anxiety. You’re going to find it really, really easy compared to dealing with anger. You are the one attempting to direct the conversation, regardless of who the recipient is.
You’ve got to set it up. Customers will want to know when I’m booking this meeting and how long it is going to be. What are the possible outcomes? Where are we going with this? The more things you can answer for these people right off the bat, the more you can reduce anxiety.
You can break the cycle of anger through stories. Set the expectations. Let ’em know what to expect. You’re going to find that it reduces anxiety in all kinds of situations.
Some of the best teachers I ever had were storytellers as much as they were (or more so) teachers. There are all kinds of different ways that you can twist and turn and create stories, analogies, and metaphors about your information. Learning is like collecting seashells; it’s not just one piece of information.
Stories are a beautiful way to link a new environment to an old negative one and reframe the old one into a positive situation. How do you deal with people that don’t want to learn? That will create a completely different learning environment for your customers.
