Listening VS Being Clever

Being clever sounds great, until you have a product to sell:

Being clever means you finish other people’s sentences with domain knowledge rather than their language. When the uninitiated speak differently to those experienced in the solution, how can one relate with those they wish to serve other than by listening?

Being clever means you’re so versed in the solution that you may not fully understand the problem anymore. When operating in a world void of that problem, exploring deeper problems rather than spending time with those who aren’t quite there yet makes us less able to relate effectively.

Being clever means we can make our solutions even better. But we must remember that part of that solution lives in the minds and worlds of those still experiencing that problem. To them, we must not be clever: we must see their world through their eyes to find new opportunities to serve.