Seven Ways to Improve Your People Intelligence

he greatest weakness of salespeople today is that they’re product-centered, not people-oriented and they are sadly unaware of this shortcoming. Salespeople tend to spend most of their time on a call extolling the virtues of the product or service they sell, yet never ask a single question or identify any needs the prospect might have. They’ve talked a lot but haven’t listened at all.
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. People buy for emotional reasons—not because they fully understand your product or service, but because they feel you understand them. If they don’t feel that you appreciate their position or where they’re coming from, you will not be able to sell them anything, no matter how fantastic your product or service is. As a professional salesperson, you’re in the people business. It is your people skills that will make your product knowledge pay off.
The following are seven quick and easy ideas you can use to develop your People Intelligence:
Smile. It’s a universal sign of friendship in any culture. The Chinese have a proverb: Man who cannot smile should not open store. Think about it.
Be genuinely interested in others. Look directly at the person when they are talking and use your facial expressions to reinforce your interest. Ask open-ended questions, allowing your prospect to answer fully. If you take interest in your prospect’s feelings, you’ll be able to respond with sensitivity and understanding.
Your body language is a powerful tool. Show your prospect through your actions that you care about what they’re saying. Likewise, watch your prospect’s body language for clues. Become a masterful observer of human behavior and pay attention to what is said, as well as to what isn’t said.
Talk in terms of the other person’s interest. Your prospects may not have the time to talk about what you want to talk about, but they will always have time to talk about what they want to talk about—and most people’s favorite subject is themselves! Ask open-ended questions that encourage your prospects to talk about their personal lives and problems, their business needs and particularly changes in their business climate or conditions. View those situations through that person’s eyes, seeing the realities they face. The more you listen to and learn from them, the more effective you’ll be at meeting their needs.
Use their name. It’s the sweetest sound anyone ever hears. That’s why it’s so painful when you mispronounce someone’s name. If you’re unsure, clarify as to how to correctly pronounce their name. Never take liberties with someone’s name unless you have specifically been given that privilege. In this age of casual dress, fast food and informal behavior, it’s almost too easy to make a faux pas like saying, “Hi Jim. How’s it going?” Instead, start by using someone’s title, “Hello, Mr. Smith,” showing the prospect the respect they deserve. Then the prospect can respond by saying exactly how he or she would like to be addressed, “Please, just call me Jim.”
Give compliments. Make a concentrated effort to practice giving three honest and sincere compliments every day. You’ll be amazed at what this simple act will do for your relationships. Further, understand the value of a compliment—both to the receiver and the giver. It is unfortunate that so many young people today reply to a compliment like “You did a good job” with “No problem.” This shrugging-off of the flattering remark negates it entirely and even worse, it may make the giver feel belittled. This person was thoughtful enough to pay a genuine, sincere compliment. Offer them the same level of respect they’re offering you by responding with a heartfelt, “Thank you.”
Listen. How many people do you know who are good listeners, to whom you can open up your heart and soul because you know they will listen carefully to everything you say? The truth is most of us don’t want someone to tell us what to do or give us their opinion. We just want someone to listen. Listen actively to what your prospect is saying. Take in the information, process it, remember it and use it to help meet your prospect’s needs. Give your feedback when your prospect is talking, so you communicate that you understand what is being said. Use simple phrases like, “I see,” “Of course,” and “Yes, I understand.” To be sure of what your prospect is saying, practice reflective listening by paraphrasing their comments and repeating them back for verification. Then you’ll both be clear about what was said.
Make the other person feel important. Let your prospects know they are important to you. When people are given courtesies, they inevitably pass that goodwill onto others. Treating others, whether in business or in your personal life, with courtesy and respect speaks volumes about your integrity as a human being.
Common courtesy, unfortunately, seems to be disappearing from our society. In Germany, Juergen Schreier, the Minister of Education in the State of Saarland, plans to implement a “social competency” program to instruct German children how to behave properly. It is a seemingly radical idea meeting with overwhelming approval; more than 80 percent of the population supports his plan. The focus is on basic good manners, punctuality, presentation, paying and receiving compliments and practicing common courtesy. Schreier said, “Education is more than simple factual knowledge. It’s also about social competency and demonstrating courtesy and consideration.”
Developing your ‘social competency’ reaches far wider than simply boosting your sales or succeeding in business. When you build people up and show them respect they will return that courtesy to others. This genuine kindness toward your fellow human beings will reach further than you can know.
Finally, evaluate yourself. How effective are the solutions you’ve offered to solve your customer’s problems? Have you listened? Have you assessed the situation accurately? Do you have something practical to offer your prospect? Your product knowledge or technical skills are important and they give you credibility. However, as a professional salesperson, remember that you are in the people business. It is through your finely honed and intelligently applied people skills that your product and technical knowledge will pay off.

Roy Chitwood is an author and consultant on sales and customer service. He is the former president and chairman of the Board of Sales & Marketing Executives International and is president of Max Sacks International, Seattle, (800) 488-4629, www.maxsacks.com. If you would like to subscribe to his free Tip of the Week, please e-mail info@maxsacks.com

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