When you’re an entrepreneur, you’re always in the business of selling. Whether you’re selling a product, yourself, or an idea, you likely spend the majority of your time convincing people to make concessions in your favor.
But not everyone has the same skillset; some people are better at selling than others. And the reason why some entrepreneurs are better persuaders than others is simple: they have a high level of emotional intelligence.
Here are three things emotionally intelligent people do that give them the upper hand.
THEY ASK MORE STRATEGIC QUESTIONS
Someone who has a high emotional intelligence tends to have a higher sense of empathy towards the situation of the person they are trying to persuade. They are often looking to develop a better understanding of the person , so they can understand their pain points.
This means they ask a lot more strategic questions as these help them understand their situation better and allow them to analyze their potential client’s beliefs and the reasons behind them.
THEY GIVE PEOPLE WHAT FITS THEIR NEEDS
When a master persuader has put in the work to discover the pain points of his or her potential client, they use it to their advantage. They look for supporting facts, arguments, or any sort of finding that would sound more appealing to what the person they are trying to persuade wants to hear — and NOT what the persuader wants to say. The focus is all on the potential client and their needs.
THEY KNOW WHEN TO LET GO
A master persuader knows how to work with a potential client in a way that it’s almost impossible for them to say no. That is, unless they are emotionally attached to the beliefs that a persuader is trying to dismantle with their facts. When that’s the case, a master persuader recognizes this is happening through the language used in their potential client’s objections as they tend to get defensive and protect their beliefs. That’s when they recognize the importance of backing off. At the end of the day, they understand that they’re just a guide in helping change that person’s mind.
Most importantly, a master persuader is not a manipulator. They don’t intend to trick or win at the expense of the potential client. What they are is a partner in their decision-making process. Emotional intelligence will significantly improve your persuasion skills, and will inevitably give you an edge in your business.