80,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000-ish

That's roughly the number of unique ways to order a deck of playing cards.  As this video goes on to say, any time you pick up a well shuffled deck, you are almost certainly holding an arrangement of cards that has never existed...  Cool.

This got me thinking in terms of human relationships and the people we interact with daily.  With that rationale, the person you're talking to/meeting with has never before existed as they are in that moment.  Every minute we're alive we are changing little by little - never to be the same again.  Completely shuffled... by our interactions, thoughts, and experiences.

Another parallel I draw here is with my daughter.  It's easy to see the daily changes that occur with my (now) 8 month-old.  It's astounding watching her progress intellectually and seeing the light-bulb go off.  I also know I've gone into her room in the morning and convinced she's grown an inch overnight!  These progressive changes are obviously less dramatic with age, but they're still happening.

So yea...you get it, people change.  What's the point?

These two... Never make assumptions, and by default - practice empathy.  You don't know the path that person has walked (that very day) before they walked into that meeting with you.  Be attentive, positive, ask good questions, and listen fully.  In sales (and life), it's your job to leave them in a better place than they were before you met.

Only then can you help them...well, stack the deck in their favor. :)

Have you had to adjust your style when seeing a person has recently been "shuffled"?  Share in the comments or drop me a line at salesdrummer@gmail.com.  Happy Selling!