Taking an Other-Centric Approach to Increase Sales Performance Metrics
Have you ever wondered why people sometimes form inaccurate impressions about you? Do they rush to judge you too quickly? This limited view we have of ourselves, and of others judging us only on what they see of us is called the Iceberg Effect. It’s based on our perception of who we are (identity), and of how others see us (reputation).
For most people, there is a disparity between identity and reputation that can cause them to ignore feedback and derail their efforts. Real self-awareness is about achieving a realistic view of one’s strengths and weaknesses, and of how those strengths and weaknesses compare to others’. For instance, most people rate their own EQ highly, yet only a minority of those individuals will be rated as emotionally intelligent by others.
Turning self-deception into self-awareness will not happen without accurate feedback, the kind that comes from data-based assessments such as valid personality tests or 360-degree feedback surveys. Such tools are fundamental to help us uncover EQ-related blind spots, mostly because other people are generally too polite to give us constructive feedback.
One of the best things sales managers can do when building a strong sales team is to keep self-deception in check by fostering an other-focused atmosphere. Developing an other-centric approach starts with a basic appreciation and acknowledgement of team members’ individual strengths, weaknesses, and beliefs. Brief but frequent discussions with team members will lead to a more thorough understanding of how to motivate and influence others. Such conversations might be difficult at first, but over time should inspire ways to create opportunities for collaboration, teamwork, and external networking.
The bottom line is: igniting your sales EQ means it’s all about them, not you!
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