“I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate what you’ve been sharing. It has been helping me navigate a personal situation that has been challenging. The same approaches you’ve been showing me in the sales context are directly applicable here, too. It’s amazing.”
That’s part of a conversation I had yesterday with someone I’ve been working with on sales training stuff, and it means the world to me.
In my world good sales skills are basically good communication skills.
That means listening more than you talk, and talking half as much as you want to.
It also means putting down your own emotional reactions to things so you can hold onto your curiosity about the other party & being interested in understanding how they see the world.
Turns out that can help you in more places than the sales room.
Who knew?
(HINT: me, I did. It was me the whole time.)
How about you? Do you practice your communication skills? Can you be patient with your knee-jerk reactions and stay present with your conversation partner with an air of curiosity?
If not, maybe we should talk!
Feel free to send me a note; I’d love to hear from you.
Best thoughts,
~Jonathan