When someone asks you for a recommendation, do you tell them the things you’d liked the most or do you consider what you know about the person asking?
A few years ago, a friend was telling me about a movie he’d seen (Slumdog Millionaire) and how much he’d enjoyed it. I asked him if I’d like it. He paused for a moment and then said, “no.”
I appreciated that and it’s always stuck with me because I often hear people recommend something to me and sometimes I think, “how on earth could they recommend that to me? Do they know who they’re talking to?”
Often people are so enthusiastic about whatever it is that they’re in love with that they don’t consider who they’re talking to or their preferences. They just blather in about their recommendation and talk as though convincing themselves.
It isn’t that I’m picky, but, as I told my friend Nikki last week, “I’m used to liking things other people don’t and vice versa.” In that case it was related to BB20 cast members, but it happens with books, podcasts, movies, tv shows, all of it. I don’t know how or why, but it just never lines up.
Of course, differences make the world go around and how boring it would be if we all agreed on everything. All I’m suggesting is that we start putting a little thought into our audience when making our recommendations. Let’s make them more thoughtful instead of just blanket statements.
And for the record, I did like Slumdog Millionaire. So there.
(Lesley, this is in no way referencing our chat today. That just reminded me I wanted to write this. ????)
