The sweet taste of a YES doesn’t last for long if the actual answer should have been NO. So, take some time to determine how much “yes” a “yes” actually is. Here’s the simple method in India business.
Written by Trond Skundberg (C) 2014
How yes is that yes?
For a start, it’s probably not as much yes as you’d assume. So you need to question it. Your efforts however should be balanced, based on how critical consequences the difference in perception could lead to.
You don’t want to use all your energy measuring the street vendors yes-accuracy. In Business however; don’t take yes for an answer.
The simple calculation of the yes-accuracy (unless you have a polygraph):
A firm 100% YES
-20% for the cultural effect of wishing to create a friendly tone
-10% for wishful thinking
-10% for the “close a deal right now” mentality
-25% for fear of personal consequences of a “no”
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= 35% yes-probability
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Then, add potential credits according to the below factors :
+ for high credibility (0-10%)
+ for firm facts (0-10%)
+ for your earlier positive experiences (0-10%).
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Your total here:
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The factors behind the yes-accuracy varies a lot around the world. The above is a glimpse into the basic Indian ones, as a Norwegian see them.
This is an open draft from my survival guide for business travellers to India. See more drafts and posts related to the book here.
