The Happiness Sales Edge: The Research (Part 4)
In the next few posts I’d like to share some additional research that helps us to further appreciate the critical relationship between happiness and sales. This deeper understanding, can—hopefully—help energize us to achieve authentic happiness in our lives and maximize the benefits of happiness in our business development endeavors.
Resilience
What do you think is the rejection rate for sales in most businesses? In many businesses, sale professionals experience rejection 90% of the time. Such massive rejection rate demands that a sales professional rebound quickly from the failure or other inability to close. Research shows that happier people are more resilient. The ability to bounce back faster from rejection gives sales professionals an advantage by being able to get back “up to bat” quickly and convey positive emotion to subsequent prospects.
Productivity
Who would like to be more productive in their sales efforts—or generally? Happier people are more productive, thus more likely to be efficient, persistent, and accomplished generally in connection with their sales efforts. Inefficiency is a time-waster and deal killer, especially as an unproductive sales approach can cause prospective deals to die by sheer passage of time.
It thus behooves us to pay more attention to our personal level of happiness and use all the tools at our disposal to increase our happiness as much as possible. In addition to this serving as a general life benefit, an increased happiness level can help us remain resilient and more productive in our sales efforts.
J.B.
Read MoreThe Happiness Sales Edge: The Research (Part 3)
As we continue our thoughts on some of the research behind the relationship between happiness and sales, we are advised to consider the interesting world of “mirror neurons,” and how they radically affect a prospect’s reaction to our pitch. Research involving mirror neurons provides a glimpse into the powerful effect of a sales professional’s positive emotion on a potential customer.
Live Science describes research on primate brains which revealed a cluster of cells in the area of the brain which controls the planning of movements. The cluster of cells reacted not only when the primate performed an action itself, but also when it observed the same action performed by another. Researchers coined the term “mirror neurons” because the cells “mirrored” the actions that the primates observed in others. Subsequently, researchers have reported that humans also have these mirror neurons, and discovered that such mirror neurons not only mirrored actions, they mirrored sensations and emotions. Ever wonder why your smile evokes a nearly instantaneous smile from someone else?
Thus, while a prospect listening to a sales pitch may be listening to the words, her brain’s mirror neurons are firing at the same time in reaction to the salesperson’s emotions, demeanor, etc. A positive, uplifting attitude and demeanor will have the effect of increasing the positivity of the prospect, which will increase the likelihood of establishing trust, building rapport, and ultimately obtaining a commitment by the prospect to do business.
The opposite is also true: a lower level of positivity yields a lower likelihood of accomplishing these critical sales goals. If a disconnect exists between the words that are cognitively processed and the emotions that are mirrored, the pitch will likely be less potent. In other words, if a sales pitch is otherwise brilliant, a sales professional’s negative or mediocre emotion will prompt the prospect to mirror such emotion internally, thus reducing the likelihood of trusting the sales professional, getting into rapport with her, and making the mental decision to move forward with a purchase.
The take away here is to remain positive, with an uplifting attitude and demeanor every step of the way with a prospective client or customer.
J.B.
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Happy Is Cool Merchandise For Sale AND Free Books!
Friends, I am pleased to announce that today we have begun offering for sale Happy Is Cool merchandise on the Intense Coaching and Consulting Worldwide website. As you may know, the title of my forthcoming book on happiness is Happy Is Cool: Coaching Keys to the Cool New Happy You.
On the ICCW website, you can view the two items of merchandise we are offering for sale, namely, a custom wristband and custom t-shirt, both bearing the Happy Is Cool logo. Now is the time to order your merch! Buy a wristband or t-shirt for yourself, or order items for your friends, family, co-workers, etc. As we have seen in this Blog, happiness is critical to sales success. Embrace happiness and promote it now by wearing either a wristband or t-shirt which embodies a refreshing message that while there are a lot of cool things in life, the coolest thing is to live a life of authentic happiness!
I would invite you to visit the ICCW website–CLICK HERE–to check out photos of the wristband and t-shirt. If you would like to place an order, contact me directly via email at jb@intensecoaching.com or call me at 312 402 2112.
FREE BOOKS: The first 5 people to order a wristband AND t-shirt will win a FREE–autographed–copy of my book, Happy Is Cool, upon publication! So ORDER NOW!
Thanks!
J.B.
Read MoreHooray for Happiness Day!
What better day to start living a happier life than today, the very first International Day of Happiness! The United Nations has established today–March 20–as such to emphasize its member states’ commitment to “better capture the importance of the pursuit of happiness and well-being in development with a view to guiding their public policies.”
As you know, I have become increasingly interested in the new science around happiness, especially the work of Positive Psychologists who have clearly demonstrated the plethora of benefits that result from happiness. In particular, in this Blog I have been probing the relationship between happiness and sales. I will continue to do so and to otherwise provide information and recommendations with respect to that relationship.
So today I invite you to join me in re-upping our commitment to pursuing a life of authentic happiness!
J.B.
Read MoreAgent Publishing Features UBRs in Chicago, Miami, and Houston
Agent Publishing is the premier publisher of local news and information for well-informed residential real estate professionals in a number of markets. Currently with three bi-weekly magazines in Chicago, Miami, and Houston, this cutting-edge publisher offers robust websites and events, including in-depth articles on many aspects of the residential real estate industry and ways to maximize the performance of real estate professionals.
I was deeply honored to be asked to write a 2-part article on how Crux Rainmaking’s concept of Unique Business Relationships (UBRs) can assist residential real estate professionals to maximize referrals and essentially drive sales through the roof!
Please check out the article in any one of the three magazines: Chicago Agent Magazine, Miami Agent Magazine, or Houston Agent Magazine.
My sincere thanks goes out to Anne Hartnett and her partner, Marci Sepulveda, founders and publishers of Agent Publishing, along with their entire team, for featuring my article in their amazing magazines!
J.B.
Read MoreThanks to Sales Results, Inc.
This morning I was honored to be invited to present my Happiness Sales Edge seminar to a class at Sales Results, Inc., a premier sales training and coaching firm located here in Chicago. My sincere thanks goes out to its founder, Steve Fretzin, and his students for their hospitality and very warm reception.
I’ve always been a big fan of Steve’s work. In particular I really like his slogan: “The Art of Selling Without Selling.” The traditional sales models have changed and we are in a new sales realm today. Steve works with his clients to embrace this new sales reality and employ tools that work to radically improve “sales results.”
The Happiness Sales Edge is a wonderful compliment to the work Steve is doing and sales training generally. As I mentioned this morning to the group, with a definitional framework for happiness, an understanding of some of the happiness research most relevant to the sales process, and a few practical happiness interventions, sales professionals are uniquely positioned to gain a massive advantage–edge–over their competition!
J.B.
Read MoreThe Happiness Sales Edge: The Research (Part 2)
There are many studies that reinforce the importance of maximizing happiness in an effort to increase sales success. In the next few posts, I will provide a brief glimpse into the take-aways from a few of these important studies.
Resilience
In many businesses, sale professionals experience rejection 90% of the time. That’s right, 90%! Such massive rejection rate demands that a sales professional rebound quickly from the failure or other inability to close. Research shows that happier people are more resilient. The ability to bounce back faster from rejection gives sales professionals an advantage by being able to get back “up to bat” quickly and convey positive emotion to subsequent prospects.
It is certainly not uncommon for a sales professional to experience rejection, and those of us who are actively in the market promoting our business understand the feeling of rejection. But that feeling is normal. The real issue is what we do with that feeling. If we are not resilient, then we are likely to succumb to that awful feeling, which adversely affects our enthusiasm to present our best face in the next sales call or pitch meeting. The power of rejection is great, and without a resilient demeanor, we are no match for that sinking feeling rejection brings.
Thus, if we focus on our personal level of happiness generally, we will be more inclined to enjoy resilience and the power to get back “up to bat” which it brings–an absolutely essential quality for a successful business development professional.
J.B.
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