The connection you make as a person with others are very important towards maintaining your motivation all the way through your sales career [article source].
What does connect with others means for a salesperson?
Connecting with others includes forming emotional and
social tie. Such ties help others feel like they’re cooperating and stimulate business
understanding and professional relationship.
Why is it important for salespeople to connect with others?
They found out that social connection in sales lowers
anxiety and depression, helps to control emotions, improves self-esteem and
empathy. By disregarding the need to connect, salespeople could possibly put their
business health at risk. But the reality right now is, we are living in a time
of disconnection.
Acceptable sums of social connection are linked to increases
in levels of a hormone called oxytocin, which function is to lessen anxiety
levels and to promote the parasympathetic nervous system calming down responses.
For salespeople, such connection comes in various forms and possibly
includes assisting prospects with meaningful albeit minor business tasks when
they call for or offering financial solutions when they are in need, giving rightful
advice to them when they are facing difficult situations, provide care,
empathy, and concern for them where appropriate.
Tons of research suggest that social connections make people
happier. Professional and strategic relationships not only appropriate in
sales, but it is also associated with healthier and even longer bond. Relationships
are associated with some of salespeople strongest emotions. When they are positive,
they feel satisfaction and confidence.
The question to the salespeople right now is, “Do you
communicate or do you connect?” Connecting and communicating are often used interchangeably.
The fact of the matter is, while they can all communicate; it doesn't mean
they’re successfully connecting. Salesperson can communicate with their tones
of voice, hands, eyes, and body language and get their message across.
If salesperson and prospect are connected, communication
will be much easier and more effective. If they are disconnected, it doesn't
matter what they’re communicating because the message is not getting through.
That’s the reason why face-to-face connection by the
salespeople with prospects minimizes misinterpretation and misunderstanding,
shows their true emotions and reactions, and therefore, builds credibility and
establishes trust. Just think about it for a moment since we are able to carry
this out after the pandemic. If you’re in sales, can you relate to this?
From psychological theories to the current research, there
are significant body of evidence that social support and feeling connected can
help maintain a healthy body mass index, control blood sugars, improve cancer
survival, decrease cardiovascular mortality, decrease depressive symptoms, ease
post-traumatic stress. Can you observe these benefits from the people around
you? Perhaps, you don’t need all these researches to validate what you see.
Building connections is also important because it makes salespersons
more versatile. When they are in tough times, they have a network of
individuals who can help recommend ideas or solutions or to offer them support.
And eventually, this network could lead to increasing their job security and their
upward movement potential in the company they’re working for.
How to salespeople stay connected to others?
Connecting is a skill, not an innate talent, which is good
news, don’t you think? With enough practice, connecting can be learned and
implemented, resulting in better salesmanship qualities and communication
skills, a more productive team player or team leader, and increased influence.
To help salespeople remain connected to their social network,
here are some quick ideas: Schedule regular calls with prospects and customers
like they would schedule work meeting. If they can, make video calls using
FaceTime, Google Meet, Zoom, or other video-calling tools.
Having a network of good relationships improves salespeople performance
and can keep their minds active. Staying connected with others and taking part
in social activities can also increase their confidence, and improve how they
feel about themselves.
Here’s a quick list for some of the
best tips that salespeople can use to learn how to connect with people with their
communication skills.
Learn to listen
Understand body language
Be true to yourself
Speak honestly
Display integrity
Show empathy
Connecting and communicating begins when salespeople listen
in an empathetic way. They hear more clearly what others need without being influenced
by judgments or thoughts focused on what they want to respond. They seek to
understand first then to be understood. Emotional connections can be formed in
an instant, or they may take time to be established.
And here’s how salespeople can
practice to be active listeners…
Let others complete their talk
Don't prejudge others
Accept that they may disagree with you
Ask open-ended questions
Show to them you're listening
When it comes to genuine connection, it's not about time
spent in the same space or doing the same activity. It's about time that
is actually spent sharing our thoughts, ideas, and information. And real
connection is always found when both parties are in the present moment. A
strong, solid connection takes time and effort. It must also be two ways.
If salespeople need quick ideas, try
these five ideas they can implement to build relationships or strengthen them:
Be open and honest when communicating. Good,
lasting business relationships rely on good communication, whether it's
face-to-face, on the telephone or email
Develop your people skills which basically refers
to your ability to relate to others
Respect and appreciate others’ opinion
Practice acceptance and be supportive
Be positive
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