Albert Einstein undoubtedly had a high IQ. He developed the special and general theories of relativity, and he won the Nobel Prize for physics in his explanation of photoelectric effect. (Say that three times in a row.)
I venture to say that Albert Einstein also possessed a fair amount of emotional intelligence judging by some of his quotes. For a high IQ guy, he displays a fair amount of EQ with his quotes that show introspection and reflection. A couple of my favorite quotes are:
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that created them.”
“Insanity is repeating the same behavior and expecting different results.”
In preparation for 2014, I suggest that you apply Einstein’s IQ and EQ to set-up up a great year with great sales results.
EQ and IQ:
#1: Apply your problem solving and reality testing skills. Conduct a win/loss analysis of 2013. Many sales teams are gearing up for 2014 without any real data on ‘worked or didn’t work’ in 2013. As a result, many are doomed to repeat the two quotes stated above. Click here for more information on our two-day boot camp.
Do you know?
- What was the best source of leads and opportunities in 2013? Sure, you may have 5,000 followers, 2,000 likes, attended 100 networking events and enjoyed 200 cups of relationship coffees. Test the reality: Did the sales activity result in business?
In analyzing our business, we find (not surprising) that our most profitable sales come from repeat clients and client referrals. It’s just common sense. Good clients tend to refer good people with similar values. And in our business, that translates to working with customers that value learning, improvement and outside advice.
EQ and IQ:
#2: Tap into your self-awareness, get some downtime and ask yourself the tough questions to uncover your sales blind spots.
Put on your truth telling hat and examine your selling and influence skills. How would you rate yourself on a 1 – 10 scale?
We live in a business world that is growing increasingly commoditized, has well educated prospects and lots of places for prospects to invest their dollars. The business world continues to change—have you?
Have you?
- Incorporated neuroscience and emotional intelligence into your sales process? Today’s distracted buyers have short attention spans and are on information overload. (Half of you won’t even be able to finish this short newsletter.) This means today’s sales professional must be excellent at influence skills that accelerate trust and interest.
Empathy, or the ability to see the world from your prospect/customers’ point of view, is one such skill. Many people are losing this important skill due to technology. People have their heads down texting and checking email so much that they seldom look up and catch the non-verbal communication clues. Anything done repeatedly becomes a habit and not paying attention is becoming a bad habit in corporate America.
Have you?
- Learned how to ‘sell to the old brain?’ Salespeople well versed in selling to the emotional center of the brain deliver value propositions that quickly communicate problems you solve and value you bring to the buyer.
Hint: No one cares that you have good customer service, industry expertise or national distribution. You must link the dots and paint a picture of the problems you solve for clients. For example, industry expertise is important because your potential customer is not paying for you to learn their business. Industry expertise means that you can prevent problems before they happen.
Become a Sales Einstein in 2014 by combining IQ and EQ in your sales approach.
To your success in 2014!
Colleen Stanley
President
