Truly great salespeople make better decisions. In order to do this they look at a problem or a client situation from a different point of view. This allows them to find the best way to solve a customer’s problem. This deep understanding makes them the only choice for a customer who wants his problem solved.
The age-old question is this a learned behavior or is it something the chosen few are born with. In reality, it’s a bit of both. Here’s how I teach my clients (salespeople) how to think and see things in a different way. Teaching people neurobiology or psychiatry to solve this problem would be futile because of the complexity. So I look for wisdom that’s right before us. Something that can teach us complex ideas in a simple way.
This is where Star Trek comes in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBxFxXwG0GI
Have you ever wondered why Star Trek was so insanely popular around the world? So here’s a typical episode, everything’s going okay until it isn’t. It could be a horde of Klingons or some scantily clad green skinned woman that puts the USS Enterprise in jeopardy. Initially, Mr. Spock, James T Kirk and Bones have different ideas about how to handle the situation. But by the end of the episode they all come together with unified plan and the save the day.
Let’s deconstruct what’s going on. Mr. Spock is all about logic that is what you do with her head. James T Kirk is all about instincts this is what we call gut feel. Finally, Bones is all about relationships and people this is what your heart does. The reason I think Star Trek was such a popular show was that it represented the three parts (head, heart, gut) of your thinking toolkit coming together as one.
Sounds bit touchy-feely, right? Well it turns out that your head has 86 billion neurons, or heart has 40,000 neurons and our endocrine system (gut) has about 80 billion neurons. Neurons = Thinking. Have you ever heard someone say my gut says “Don’t do it.” What if those neurons were actually analyzing what’s going on and advising you on what to do? Have you ever heard someone say, “My heart isn’t in it.” What if the neurons there were screaming “Don’t do it!” I’m not sure if there is thinking going on in your heart and in your gut. Frankly it doesn’t matter if all you thinking is done in your head and “thinking” with your heart and gut is just an illusion. As long as you gain perspective on a problem is what counts.
A salesperson head is a great place for sales training to reside. It allows a salesperson to use that training to develop sales processes and sales techniques that win accounts. Salesperson’s heart is a great way to connect with your prospects so they trust you and want to do business with you. Salesperson’s gut gives a salesperson instincts that take their sales training to a whole new level. This instinct allows salespeople to know what tool to use when. Also it gives them insights into a prospects hidden agenda.
When a salesperson comes across a problem that is challenging, a great way to find a solution is to first check in with your head. This allows you to logically see what’s going on. When you check in with your heart it gives you new data that allows you to make better decisions. When you check in with your gut it gives a salesperson the instincts they need to close business. Imagine all this from a TV show that was canceled decades ago!
