Selling with the EI Edge
There was once the old strategy of selling, which included acquiring a list of potential clients, setting up a meeting and divulging information until it got dark out. As consumers became smarter and choices became more diverse, the old selling techniques are no loner relevant. Consumers now have multiple choices when it comes to whom they prefer to do business with and that business or individual is usually someone they like. Referrals are no different, because the source of the referral wouldn’t refer the business or individual unless they liked them. So the core of the issue is the “likeability factor”. Emotions are ALWAYS behind every decision we make. “What?” you say. “Like a sales person?” well guess what, at the end of the day, everyone sells. Whether its a service, a skill, a villa or some other product or knowledge, you have to have an audience otherwise it might as well not exist. The decision centers in the brain of even the most cognitive person are dependent on the emotional stimuli that are provided.
So here is what we propose work smarter not harder. Use these 10 Emotional Intelligence (EI) strategies to selling:
- The most effective way EI assists sales people is to more effectively and qualitatively assess the needs expressed by the customer. The sales person must be perceptive when it comes to the personality of the customer in respect to where they are in their decision making process. Decision-making is different for the Judging vs. perceptive personality types.
- EI is a great tool in reading body language and tone of voice and it can help you uncover underlying needs and values that a client may have.
- A great sales person with EI knows when to speak and when to shut up and listen.
- A great sales person doesn’t wait for the customer to voice their concerns, because 9 out of 10 times they won’t. They will “intelligently” bring value to the surface so the client doesn’t have to filter or go elsewhere looking for it.
- Emotionally intelligent salespeople can effectively and without offense, penetrate the emotions by listening actively and asking the right questions. They will very quickly move up the business relationship ladder from suspect, to vendor, and all the way to trusted advisor.
- Being in sales is a stressful process. Therefore another great competency of an emotionally intelligent person is their ability to handle stress.
- Optimism is a component of emotional intelligence that leads to increased productivity and higher closing rates because it will keep your motivation in place. The ability, maturity and wisdom to manage yourself more effectively, gives you an edge in being able to focus on satisfying your customer’s needs / providing a solution / the right product.
- Emotionally Intelligent people can talk to anyone and can bend their own style to fit that of others.
On the flip side regulating your own emotions as they overcome you while talking to a prospect is equally important. There is nothing worse than hearing a buying signal and becoming too excited to effectively complete the discovery/qualification and quiet time process. - Subtleties such as matching the buyer’s pace and tone of voice can really help the seller to connect with the buyer and make the buyer feel comfortable during the process. Sellers with strong Emotional Awareness can better identify the buyer’s communication style and match words and “chunk size” to that style, helping to really connect with the buyer on various levels.
- Genuine & natural care is the key to establish trust quickly. Emotionally intelligent people care more about ensuring their customer’s needs are met than making the sale. Even if this sometimes means, walking away from the sale. Because in the long-term, this practice adds value to the relationship.
There are four or so question every one runs through their mind before they purchase anything. 1. Is it the right product 2. Is it the right price 3. Is it the right time and 4.Is this the right person to sell it to me? (do I believe this person). Even if the answer to 1-3 is yes, 4 has to be Yes, otherwise there will be no sale!
Your emotional intelligence will enable you to face these questions before the customer has had a chance to ponder on them. I call this strategy “Sell to Yourself”…….It creates trust and credibility in the eyes of the customer and after the sale is made they thank you for getting them to write that check!
