In looking at what makes a great salesperson, I would include a factor,
which is that: “They ‘Engage Emotionally’ with the Prospect.”
This manifests itself in that, Sales Top Performers Understand their Prospects “substantive” Issues.
Further, they are able to discern their Customer/Prospect’s “Emotional Issues”;
anxieties, fears, uncertainties and doubts,
which will often be expressed as
“Pseudo-substantive issues”.
These are the “Pseudo-substantive” issues that often cause the conflict
between Seller and Buyer.
The Seller “Behaviour”, which is significantly different in Top Performers,
is their ability to confront and to reconcile, reaching an agreement or harmony with the Prospect.
These conciliatory gestures may take the form of either Questions or Statements, are based on openness, which makes the Salesperson Vulnerable. Expressions of sorrow or regret may be used for past occurrences (even if the salesperson held no direct responsibility or liability).
Top Sales Performers show a marked increase in personal disclosure;
of their thoughts, feelings, motivation and past history.
They also seek feedback and accept direct personal responsibility for the outcomes.
They are able, appropriately, to express positive feelings towards the Prospect
including affection, admiration and respect.
This is the emotional basis upon which they build, to initiate a search for mutual-gain outcomes.
Although these appear to be ‘soft skills’,
their execution and use is in ‘hard’ Interpersonal Behaviour usage.
Top Performers have a Behavioural range including Questions, Statements, Suggestions, Checking Understanding and Comment Summaries which enable a Prospect’s conversation
to encompass their Emotional Issues, comfortably.
Emotional Engagement, as I am describing it, is improvised in real time.
The Process, which is not story telling, attempts to limit 3 key factors:
· Ambivalence,
· Projection and
· Polarisation.
Buyers feel ‘Ambivalence’ about Sales People, they are both attracted and repelled at the same time,
and this is Cognitive Dissonance. Un-aided the Buyer will adjust their perception to
“Sellers cannot be trusted” or “I trust this Person”.
Since it is the second condition, which we as sales people desire,
then we behave in a manner that engenders trust,
i.e. sincerity, truthfulness and open disclosure.
The Buyer will often ‘Project’ either their own “undesirable characteristics” onto the Seller,
or the “undesirable characteristics” of previous Salespeople onto the Seller.
“I am economical with the truth, therefore this salesperson will also be economical with the truth”.
They do this again to reduce their Cognitive Dissonance,
we should not validate “Projected” Characteristics, and instead we establish Trustworthy Characteristics.
Finally, ‘Polarisation’ is to be avoided.
The sales person believes that they are truthful and sincere, whereas the Buyer believes sales people are inherently untruthful and insincere. Reaching agreement with Polarised views, can be impossible.
Tolerating the ambivalence can enable agreement.
Hence to move the Buyer position to:
“Sales people are inherently untruthful (their belief), but on this occasion, this seller appears truthful”.
Is congruent with their belief but allows latitude in behaviour.
The salesperson has to “accept” the Buyer’s view that “Sellers are inherently untruthful”.
Yet, exhibit behaviours that will show the Buyer’s belief ‘unjustified’ on this occasion with this Seller.
“Emotional Engagement” is for both parties Buyer and Seller, an Intra-Personal and an Inter-Personal Process. Whether we acknowledge it, or not, it is present during every Complex Choice,
and as Sellers we ignore it at our peril.
Just as an aside, this is all from Mainstream ‘Regular’ Psychology, mainly Behavioural Psychology,
i.e. the ‘SPIN’ School. However, it includes some Cognitive Psychology from CBT,
especially the view that emotions (feelings) stem from thoughts and beliefs.
It is not, “New Wave” or ‘pseudo’ Psych, or NLP,
or EI (‘Emotional Intelligence’).
Sales Emotional Engagement is Sales Skills based.
Behavioural Modification (B.Mod.), in our Own Behaviour to achieve an appropriate Modification in our Buyer’s Behaviour. It is akin to pre-call Questioning Preparation to identify Buyer’s needs or pain points.
The difference is this preparation is to minimise Ambivalence, Projection and Polarisation.
It used to be called “Empathy”, except we couldn’t measure or compare empathy.
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