The Power of Persuasion
Great salespeople have to be skilled at persuasion. From negotiating to collaborating, the art of persuasion is not only needed to get things done, it really works to serve and help other people. Here are three ways you can start to improve your skills of persuasion today:
Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood
In “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen R. Covey wrote that most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. Real communication only happens when we truly respect the opinions of others and try to understand their point of view. Always ask questions and listen before rushing to judgment. The more people you understand, the more people you can reach, influence, serve and help. As John Steinbeck said, “Try to understand men. If you understand each other, you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.”
Have Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced world, empathy and compassion are distinctly lacking. To be more empathetic, you have to think from the other person’s perspective. It’s all about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. As Stephen R. Covey said, “When you show deep empathy towards others, their defensive energy goes down and positive energy replaces it.” The more you practice empathy, the more successful, persuasive and impactful you’ll be.
Give the Necessary Nudge
When you go above and beyond for your customers, you also need to be able to give them the necessary nudge when required. When people are preparing to make a decision about buying or selling a home, for example, they may be nervous or experience anxiety and doubt. This is when you have to know how to step up, encourage them and lead them along the path with authority. This might mean going back over the goals they had at the outset of the process and laying everything out again, listening to their fears and concerns and helping them feel comfortable and confident or reminding them of the scarcity factor and the necessity of making a decision.
Persuasion is a powerful skill when it’s used with true conviction to help and serve others. When you really connect with your customers by serving them and listening to what they want and need, you can ultimately nudge them in the right direction as a professional to make a great decision that’s in their best interest. To learn more, listen to the latest episode of “It’s a Good Life”.
