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The “Likability” Quotient
Far too often in a selling situation, a tug-of-war develops between the rational and feeling sides of the brain. One side asks, “Does this make sense?” while the other side asks, “Does this feel right?” Ninety-nine percent of the time, the feeling side wins over the rational side, and if the deal doesn’t feel right, it is usually the seller’s fault.
Let me tell you about the easiest consulting assignment I have ever experienced. I was approached by a firm I will call XYZ Solutions. This was a company that had positioned itself pretty well in its industry. They seemed to have it all––the longest track record, high-quality products and services, an admirable service record, and representatives who were informed and accomplished. The question they wanted answered was this: “Why were they failing to pull highly desirable accounts from a certain competitor (ABC Solutions) that, on paper, was inferior to XYZ?”
My approach was to talk to the decision makers at these accounts and ask them, “Why do you do business with ABC?” I did not ask, “Why don’t you do business with XYZ?” You can probably guess the answers I heard 90 percent of the time. These answers were not about product quality, pricing, or company history. The answers were about the human component. I repeatedly heard phrases like:
I gave XYZ the shortest report they have probably ever seen, “In future recruiting, give as much weighting to ‘likability’ as you do to ability.”
Sales professionals are always looking for doors to open to bigger and better business accounts. Every firm has its own ideas about how to nudge or kick those doors open. Some do it with price, others with special features, others with positioning based on quality, service, etc. Ultimately, however, doors swing open or shut on the hinge of the likability of the person representing that firm. Give people reasons to like you, and they will find reasons to do business with you. Give people reasons not to like you, and they will find ways to make your life difficult and avoid doing business with you.
Likes and Dislikes
As part of our study on selling with emotional intelligence, we asked clients who had regular, daily exposure to sales professionals the following questions: “What kind of salespeople do you like? And dislike?”
Listed are the six most common responses for each category. Generally speaking, people prefer those who pay attention to them much more than self-centered attention seekers.
I like people who… I dislike people who…
People naturally take a liking to those who are interested in others and who are unpretentious, honest, and respectful. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to figure out these aspects of human interaction; but obviously, from the feedback I’ve received, not all sales professionals have done the emotional math or exercised enough self-inspection to ensure that their conduct measures up.
Excerpted from Selling with Emotional Intelligence: 5 Skills for Building Stronger Client Relationships by Mitch Anthony. (©2003 by Mitch Anthony)
Mitch Anthony is the founder and president of Advisor Insights Inc. and The Financial Life Planning Institute, training companies serving advisors and the financial services industry. He is the author of several books for advisors including the StorySelling for Financial Advisors. His newest book, From the Boiler Room to the Living Room: What the Coming Revolution in Financial Services Means to You and Your Clients will be published by John Wiley & Sons later this year. Anthony is a contributing editor for Research magazine and his column “Financial Life Planning” appears in Financial Advisor magazine. He has been a named a “Mover & Shaker” by Financial Planning magazine and is frequently quoted by the media as an expert on financial life planning. His radio feature, The Daily Dose, is heard every day on approximately 200 radio stations nationwide. Contact him at mitch@mitchanthony.com © 2008 Mitch Anthony |
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