The art in our brain: Calculator, emotional monitor, conveyer of communications, delicious zombie treat.
The miraculous gray muck above our neck could almost be defined as two globs of miraculous gray muck, hemispheres, working together to make you one.
But make you one what?
This semi-scientific (and science fiction?) segue into selling is a reminder that each of us has two distinct areas of intellect:
Our left brain and its love of math and logic; and
Our right brain is creative and visual.
And this is just as well because if you are serious about selling anything, you’re going to need both of them firing fully. Here is why, and here is how.
Your brain: the art and sales
Let’s streamline this a bit for you to give it greater context (right) and clarity (left).
Say you have to sell something (and we all sell something). It may be yourself, your car, your teenage daughter on not smoking, your spouse on why you’re late or the goods and/or services of the company you own or the one that employs you.
The logical science necessary for successful selling, at least with the latter, is largely in the numbers. That is, the frequency of your presence and sales message, you’re follow-up, thank you cards, and other proactive, reinforcing efforts. This, more often than not, is an algorithm that needs to be developed. You’ve heard it before.
Science of Selling
Social intelligence, is “the capacity to effectively navigate and negotiate complex social relationships and environments.” source
In other words, being adept and adaptable with the “way” you say things — from being generally likable to verbally volleying back to whoever you’re speaking with to your body language. This is in how you control the conversation.
Although you are armed at birth with various levels of each, you may not be maximizing or leveraging them optimally. If your sales team (or you) aren’t consistently closing sales, think about the perception you or they make and leave with those not buying. Yes, it could be the science side of your efforts, the numbers, but that’s easy to employ, diagnose and fix. Learning this can be much more difficult — as learning anything is.
Being aware of the need for both is critical. Understanding any limitations you have with either will help you move past them. Assessing those limitations is what I do, every day.
This article is also featured on Frank Bastone’s blog here.
Frank Bastone can be reached at 718 662 8581, or schedule time for a chat here.
