The most powerful 7 letter word in Sales

Hello Reader,

We've reached week 5, the end of the 5-week email series related to Emotional Intelligence.

So far, we’ve covered:

Self-Awareness - The ability to know when others aren’t listening to you
Self-Control - The ability to control your emotions and keep your mouth shut
Socialisation - The ability to build relationships
Motivation - The ability to find your reason why you're doing this.

And as I'd mentioned last week, and will continue to drill in, these are all key skills for success in sales.

But this week, we cover the biggest one yet -- Empathy.

Empathy is the ability to successfully surf the waves of doubt thrashing around inside your buyer’s mind.

It’s the ability to think like other people.

And that’s like having a superpower (because to become a sales superstar, you need a superpower!)

In fact, there’s a quote I love by Alfred Adler:

So what does that translate to in sales?

Well…

Seeing with the eyes of another = being able to see situations from your prospect's perspective.

Listening with the ears of another = hearing prospect's problems, doubts, fears, concerns and objects.

Feeling with the heart of another = feeling your prospect's specific pain, frustration and stress.

All before they can even tell you any of them.

And if you marry all these together, you’ll find yourself understanding your prospect to the point it feels like you’re inside their mind.

That’s why the most important skill in sales is the ability to think like someone else.

Because good salespeople that actually care…

Are able to really see things from others' perspectives.

And therefore, truly understand what their prospect needs.

Now, when you have that ability, you’ll find people enjoy talking to you because they feel understood.

That makes it easier to build relationships.

Relationships that can be leveraged for sales opportunities…

Mind you, do not confuse empathy with sympathy!

Sympathy = Feeling sorry for someone.

Empathy = Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and seeing the situation from their perspective, not your own.

The fact is, businesspeople and salespeople who have empathy get better results.

At the end of the day, when you’re selling to people, you’re not selling your service. Because no one wants your service (truth is harsh, isn’t it?)

No, when you’re selling, you’re selling a better life for your prospects after they purchase your service.

And you can only sell them a genuinely better life if you have empathy.

So, if you can think about the risks, doubts, concerns and objections that your prospects might have with your product or service, and answer those, you’re well on your way to sales success.

So, how can you become more empathetic?

Well, try writing down the key points of what your prospect might be thinking and what’s running through their mind on a daily basis.

Then align your thoughts and ideas alongside those aspects so you’re not just telling them you understand, you’re showing them you can relate to them.

Do that, and you’ll connect with your prospects in a way you probably never thought possible.

You want to look at

What does my prospect in this position think?
What would my prospect be worried about?
What would my prospect be concerned about?
What are the risks, doubts or objects that might make my prospect walk away?
What does my prospect value, and need the most?
What would make my prospect excited about this?

And then, come up with plans to tackle all of this. Really show your prospect that you’re making it about THEM, and not YOU.

By the way, this is all part of getting inside the mind of a buyer, and you can learn about another level to this here:

Now, before I leave you, the reason why I find empathy is the most important skill to have in sales, is because it encompasses all of the 4 skills we’ve already spoken about.

Because to be empathetic,

You must be self-aware… of how you’re treating your prospect and know that they’re still listening to you.
You must have self-control… to prevent becoming desperate to make the sale and making things about you.
You must be able to socialise… to build positive relationships through understanding.
You must be motivated… to genuinely help your prospect.