By Lisbeth Calandrino
One thing we’ve learned during COVID-19 is there are various opinions on overly sensitive issues. For example, “Should I wear a mask or not?” is one that can stir up all kinds of emotional issues for people. More than ever, it’s important to be sensitive about how people feel.
We have never lived in a time plagued by so many changes and uncertainties. During these times, it’s easy to cause the customer anxiety if you don’t know how to handle it. This is where the concept of emotional intelligence comes into play.
Although the concept has been discussed since the 1960s, emotional intelligence is still very much considered an important component of both personal and professional success. However, most businesses focus on building hard skills while neglecting the emotional aspects of a transaction. Emotional intelligence essentially means being aware of oneself and the ability to perceive one’s skills and knowledge, value and responsibilities.
How can your group learn how to sharpen their emotional intelligence? Simple communication testing: who are you and how do you interact with people? There are tests that are available, uncomplicated to administer and easy to interpret. You may also look into hiring a trainer with a psychology background or develop a customized training pro- gram incorporating everyone’s communication style.
Why is self awareness so critical? A lack of self awareness can cause you to overlook your worth in a company or even the quality of the work you perform. The coronavirus pandemic has challenged everyone’s belief system to some extent and left us uncertain of the future. You need strong people who can understand their own feelings and how they impact others. We are all doubtful in some way, but the more
you understand yourself, the less anxiety you will have. Not only will you have fewer doubts about yourself, but those around you will feel more at ease and comfortable with their job and customers.
Self awareness is the first step to the process of full acceptance or change. People typically think the way they do or act the way they act without really understanding the root causes behind those thoughts and behaviors. They may never fully appreciate themselves or see the importance of making changes to improve if necessary. Self awareness give power and a sense of peace or happiness. This newly found strength will more than likely carry over into your work life, how you perform your duties as well as how you interact with others.
Andrew Carnegie put it best when he said, “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” Self motivation is an essential part of excelling at life. You must learn to motivate yourself because you cannot depend on others to do it for you. You must know how to encourage yourself regardless of how bad or dire the situation might seem.
Once you understand your emotional IQ, you will build self motivation. Furthermore, once you understand your co-workers’ biases—as well as your own—you can apply this thinking to your sales approach. Understanding others who may think differently than you is key. Once you begin to understand the differences, you can adopt them to your selling strategies. When you reach this level, your sales skills stand to vastly improve.
Lisbeth Calandrino has been promoting retail strategies for the last 20 years. To have her speak at your business or to schedule a consultation, contact her at lcalandrino@nycap.rr.com.
