Emotional Intelligence skills are essential for you as a professional if sales are part of your job. Emotional intelligence skills help you understand yourself and attend to your customer's thoughts and feelings. However, there are a number of techniques and practices that, when combined with powerful emotional intelligence skills, can help you to lead your markets and niches. Understanding these techniques takes time and careful study.

Old School Sales:

Sales trainings in the past used the cookbook approach. A procedure determines what is said and when. The problem is that people are complex. There are an endless number of variables that determine the decisions we make. Knowing how to interact with people more affectively creates a clear advantage for the sales professional.

Having guidelines and procedures provide big picture awareness and prevent you from having to reinvent the wheel. The days of sales tricks, however, are long gone. Today's consumers are much more aware of psychological sales tricks. In addition, consumers have a natural aversion to gimmicks.

For example, you walk into a store and you notice that the sales person is using a "yes set" and the customer is agreeing with them. The "yes set" is designed to use the customer's own logic and enthusiasm against them, convincing them to buy.

What you can't see, while the customer is agreeing on the surface to avoid an uncomfortable or awkward experience is beneath the surface. On the inside, they are aware that some "technique" is being used on them. The customer makes her decision not to buy, precisely at this point. Instead, she feels nervous and mildly resentful. Now she's thinking about how to politely.... run away from the salesperson.

Today's Sales Professionals:

Without an attempt to be real, we feel conned. The feelings that result when a customer believes they are being conned doesn't close a sale. We are more likely to feel resentful or suspicious when a professional is not being real with us.

Many times, what wins a client over is the fact that the sales person admitted to a limitation of the product or service they were selling. You show your clients respect when you are real with them.

One powerful skill that a sales professional has when they are speaking with a prospect is establishing rapport. We are far more likely to buy from someone we feel we can trust, so making a personal connection is important.

Rolling with a client's resistance to buy is another crucial skill because it maintains the personal connection. One application might be, admitting the shortcomings of a product or service. The sales person can move the consumer toward an explanation about the benefits and strengths of their product only, if the customer is not psychologically guarding himself or herself from the sales person. Avoid giving a phony line, scripted by management to deny the shortcomings of a product or service.

Imagine buying a foreign car. You ask the sales person, "I've heard that parts are more expensive to replace as compared to American cars." Try this emotional intelligence test. Notice thoughts and feelings that are stirred in you when you hear the following responses.

Response A: "No, that's not true. Our repairs department charges the same to repair a Saab as they do to fix a Ford or a Chevrolet."

You think to yourself, "this guy is either stupid or a liar."

When you start to feel conned, your next thought is, "how can I gracefully... run away." How does it change when the sales person simply agrees with you?

Response B: "Yes, it's often more expensive to repair a Saab."

Now, the issue is diffused. It's difficult to fight with someone when they agree with you. The sales person high in emotional intelligence will use patients and then ask the customer, "What made you want to look into driving a Saab?" This lets the customer share with you the reasons they are considering a Saab in the first place. "They're safe cars," "they're fun to drive," "my uncle had one when I was a kid," "I always thought they were so cool." Now, you are giving the customer the opportunity to convince him or herself to buy the Saab.

Emotional intelligence skills allow for a more natural approach to sales. Good training procedures are crucial but tricks and gimmicks are old school. Challenge your self with action business coaching or life coaching tips to learn these skills.

Emotional Intelligence skills are essential for you as a professional if sales are part of your job. Emotional intelligence skills help you understand yourself and attend to your customer's thoughts and feelings.

Old School Sales:

Sales trainings in the past used the cookbook approach. A procedure determines what is said and when. The problem is that people are complex. There are an endless number of variables that determine the decisions we make. Knowing how to interact with people more affectively creates a clear advantage for the sales professional.

Having guidelines and procedures provide big picture awareness and prevent you from having to reinvent the wheel. The days of sales tricks, however, are long gone. Today's consumers are much more aware of psychological sales tricks. In addition, consumers have a natural aversion to gimmicks.

For example, you walk into a store and you notice that the sales person is using a "yes set" and the customer is agreeing with them. The "yes set" is designed to use the customer's own logic and enthusiasm against them, convincing them to buy.

What you can't see, while the customer is agreeing on the surface to avoid an uncomfortable or awkward experience is beneath the surface. On the inside, they are aware that some "technique" is being used on them. The customer makes her decision not to buy, precisely at this point. Instead, she feels nervous and mildly resentful. Now she's thinking about how to politely.... run away from the salesperson.

Today's Sales Professionals:

Without an attempt to be real, we feel conned. The feelings that result when a customer believes they are being conned doesn't close a sale. We are more likely to feel resentful or suspicious when a professional is not being real with us.

Many times, what wins a client over is the fact that the sales person admitted to a limitation of the product or service they were selling. You show your clients respect when you are real with them.

One powerful skill that a sales professional has when they are speaking with a prospect is establishing rapport. We are far more likely to buy from someone we feel we can trust, so making a personal connection is important.

Rolling with a client's resistance to buy is another crucial skill because it maintains the personal connection. One application might be, admitting the shortcomings of a product or service. The sales person can move the consumer toward an explanation about the benefits and strengths of their product only, if the customer is not psychologically guarding himself or herself from the sales person. Avoid giving a phony line, scripted by management to deny the shortcomings of a product or service.

Imagine buying a foreign car. You ask the sales person, "I've heard that parts are more expensive to replace as compared to American cars." Try this emotional intelligence test. Notice thoughts and feelings that are stirred in you when you hear the following responses.

Response A: "No, that's not true. Our repairs department charges the same to repair a Saab as they do to fix a Ford or a Chevrolet."

You think to yourself, "this guy is either stupid or a liar."

When you start to feel conned, your next thought is, "how can I gracefully... run away." How does it change when the sales person simply agrees with you?

Response B: "Yes, it's often more expensive to repair a Saab."

Now, the issue is diffused. It's difficult to fight with someone when they agree with you. The sales person high in emotional intelligence will use patients and then ask the customer, "What made you want to look into driving a Saab?" This lets the customer share with you the reasons they are considering a Saab in the first place. "They're safe cars," "they're fun to drive," "my uncle had one when I was a kid," "I always thought they were so cool." Now, you are giving the customer the opportunity to convince him or herself to buy the Saab.

Emotional intelligence skills allow for a more natural approach to sales. Good training procedures are crucial but tricks and gimmicks are old school. Challenge your self with action business coaching or life coaching tips to learn these skills. Today's sales professionals require emotional intelligence skills to prevent customers and clients from wanting to run away.