It's easy for us to try and sell or convince someone that they need what we have.

But where we usually miss the mark is when we don't listen to their needs or take them into consideration while we try to pitch them on what they think they need or want.

I had 2 conversations today that hit each end of the spectrum.

1 was me trying to get an answer from an home appraiser that wasn't listening to me at all.

The other, was me talking to an associate at Home Depot that listened intently to what I needed and made an appropriate suggestion based on what I told him.

This experience was a great reminder of what it means to understand the needs of others, so that you can either offer them a relevant solution or direct them in a different direction in order to solve their problem.