“Assume makes an ASS of U and Me.”
I believe I first heard this sales sound bite in The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer.
It’s a natural trait, we think or accept that something is true but without having proof of it. Guess how many sales are lost because we assumed we knew what the prospect wanted, what the prospect was going to say next and or worst still disregarded the prospect straight from the gate because s/he didn’t fit into the target group demographic?
Another sales sound bite, in the very same book was “God gave us two ears and a mouth for reason”. The simple message is listen, listen and listen some more, ask questions, listen some more then you won’t make an ass out of you and me!
To assume sth (annehmen), to make an ass of sb (sich zum Narren machen), trait (Eigentschaft), proof (Beweis), prospect (Interessent), to disregard sb (jdn nicht beachten), from the get-go (von Anfang an), target group (Zielgruppe)