The Metiss Group's Blog

In his controversial book, Frames of Mind – The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner introduces the theory of seven different intelligences: linguistic, musical, logical, spatial, kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal.  Gardner defines interpersonal intelligence as: the ability to read the intentions and desires of other individuals and act upon this knowledge*.

How do you or your sales staff apply interpersonal intelligence to your selling process?  We recommend using behavioral tools and structures to allow sales associates to better understand themselves, read their customers, and adapt to their customers.  Applying behavioral science to the sales process creates a greater connection between the buyer and seller and leads to more sales.

Sharpen the interpersonal intelligence of your sales staff and empower them for greater success.

* (Frames of Mind p. 239)

Have you ever heard the phrase opposites attract? It’s wrong. It makes sense to us but it’s still wrong. The data on relationships are completely convincing – people who are like one another tend to be attracted to one another.

The problem with this “opposites attract” mentality is that leaders are naturally attracted to hiring people who are like them. And, if they only hire people like them, they will end up with a team of people who have all of their strengths, and all of their weaknesses.

What’s the danger in that? If you make a mistake, the other people like you on your team are less likely to catch it. In fact they’re likely to not even notice it is a mistake.

The best way for leaders to solve this problem is to benchmark their jobs and determine the specific profile to be successful in the job and then hire against that profile.  This unbiased, objective job matching approach reduces the chance a leader may hire against their own personality profile.

If very early on in the selection process, you’re “totally in love with” a candidate, we’d suspect that they’re just like you. They may work out fine, or they may be adding to your weaknesses in a way that you don’t expect.

Add empowering behavioral tools to your selection process for future success.

Source: manager-tools.com

Whether it is intended or not, most people when in buying or customer mode take on the characteristics of a “dominating” personality style.  It’s a natural defensive posture we all assume when we are concerned someone may take advantage of us.

The best way to present to these buyers/customers when they are in that mode is to be direct and to the point.  Don’t waste time with unnecessary small talk and overwhelming facts and figures.  Get directly to the bottom line.  Use the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) model when communicating.  Keep the conversation concise, focused, and on the immediate topic.  They will be impressed with an efficient, no-nonsense, business-like manner.

Remember, Peter Drucker’s advice, “Communication is what the listener does.”  Customize your delivery to the style of the listener and empower yourself for successful conversations.

Whether you are a leader providing feedback to a direct report or a sales person addressing a prospect or client, think about the style and communication needs of the receiver of your communication.  People have very different needs and preferences in the way they process communication, and in their natural style of delivering it.

As an example, a gregarious extrovert wanting to spend time bonding by talking about the Olympics or last weeks’ current events, may frustrate a strong-willed task-focused individual who just wants to get down to business.

Too often we get caught up in the message we want to deliver and fail to recognize the needs of the receiver. As a result, we communicate in the way we would want to have someone speak to us when so often those very attributes can turn off a listener with a different style.

Helping your direct reports explore their own behavior style and recognizing the behavior style of others will allow them much greater successes in their interpersonal communication and relationships, as well.

Empower your direct reports to develop their Interpersonal Intelligence and watch the effectiveness of their communication improve.