Derek Sivers
from the book “Your Music and People”:

Constantly ask what they really want.

2000-01-10

This may sound obvious, but for me it made all the difference.

Before I interact with people, I ask myself this question: “What do they really want?”

Like if I’m writing someone an email, I ask, “Why are they really reading this email?”

If I’m contacting an agent, I ask, “Why are they really doing this job?”

If I’m about to perform a show, I ask, “What are they really hoping to get from a night out at a concert?”

Thinking of everything from the other person’s point of view is one of the best things you can do in life.

Be what they want. And maybe they’ll be what you want, too.