CollectionsSep 26, 2022
Go ‘Inside the Dream’ of Bulgari Via a New Documentary on Amazon Prime It follows Creative Director Lucia Silvestri as she crafts the brand’s high jewelry collections.
IndependentsMar 19, 2019
Squirrel Spotting: The Logical Case for Emotion in Selling
Peter Smith says if you are hiring salespeople based on experience and product knowledge alone, then you are doing it wrong.
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels,” and “Sell Something.” Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
One of the great complexities in sales is how we handle both hiring salespeople and training them once they have been onboarded.
Most of us would agree that the combination of those the two powerful forces serves as an important foundation to position our respective businesses for sales success, and yet I would suggest that we are all too often getting it wrong.
When interviewing candidates, we tend to default not only to industry experience, but to product knowledge as key drivers of our hiring decisions. The prevailing idea here is that if a candidate has better product knowledge, then they will be more successful in sales.
That presumption, while rationally sensible, is often misguided.
The social sciences have shown time and again that great salespeople move customers to action because they connect with them emotionally, not because they provide them with more product information.
In fact, there is ample evidence to suggest that those who have the most product knowledge tend to be the least effective in sales.
When I talk to both retail and supplier-side colleagues and ask them to describe their best salespeople historically, they very often describe salespeople who were not safe or predictable hires.
They weren’t the most knowledgeable or the most experienced members of the team. They were, however, very successful in sales.
Why is that? What is the key ingredient to becoming a top salesperson?
Christophe Morin and Patrick Renvoisé wrote a fascinating book called “The Persuasion Code: How Neuromarketing Can Help You Persuade Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime” in which they posited: “ … persuasion is not controlled by the rational brain. Rather, it is the primal brain that dominates the process, a brain that is mostly unconscious and preverbal. It appeared long before we started to use words to communicate.”
“Is it possible that too much of your [sales] training is focused on product information and too little on making real human connections?”Morin and Renvoisé are just the latest voices reminding us that we are not persuaded by facts, figures or rationalizations. We are moved by feelings, by emotions, by human connection.
Engaging with a salesperson who demonstrates a willingness to listen, who shows the appropriate, open and authentic body language, and who genuinely believes in what he or she is selling will almost always be more persuasive than a salesperson with a laundry list of product attributes and rationalizations.
If
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
we accept that emotion sells, shouldn’t that also impact how we hire and train our people?
Shouldn’t it change what we look for when interviewing sales candidates? Shouldn’t we be more open to candidates without previous experience and product knowledge?
And once those folks have been hired, is it possible that too much of your training is focused on product information and too little on making real human connections?
Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross wrote in “The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology’s Most Powerful Insights” that “the intuitive mind is more impulsive than the rational mind, and more likely to act, to render a judgement and lean toward a course of action, without surveying information beyond its immediate attention.”
If I’m buying a car, an appliance or a diamond ring, I am going to have some basic questions that need to be answered.
I expect my salesperson to have that information or be able to find it for me. I don’t want my salesperson to make stuff up, fake it or give me a blank stare. Having the appropriate amount of product information matters. It matters a lot.
Making a human connection, however, is ultimately what will persuade me to make a purchase.
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent,” and “Sell Something: Principles and Perspectives for Engaged Retail Salespeople.” Both books are available in print or Kindle at Amazon.com. Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
Shouldn’t it change what we look for when interviewing sales candidates? Shouldn’t we be more open to candidates without previous experience and product knowledge?
And once those folks have been hired, is it possible that too much of your training is focused on product information and too little on making real human connections?
Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross wrote in “The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology’s Most Powerful Insights” that “the intuitive mind is more impulsive than the rational mind, and more likely to act, to render a judgement and lean toward a course of action, without surveying information beyond its immediate attention.”
If I’m buying a car, an appliance or a diamond ring, I am going to have some basic questions that need to be answered.
I expect my salesperson to have that information or be able to find it for me. I don’t want my salesperson to make stuff up, fake it or give me a blank stare. Having the appropriate amount of product information matters. It matters a lot.
Making a human connection, however, is ultimately what will persuade me to make a purchase.
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent,” and “Sell Something: Principles and Perspectives for Engaged Retail Salespeople.” Both books are available in print or Kindle at Amazon.com. Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
More on Independents
The Latest
Recorded WebinarsSep 26, 2022
Watch: What Jewelers Should Know About InsuranceFrom safeguarding showcases to appraisal liability, insurance experts Mark Devereaux and Andrew Chipman share insurance tips for jewelers.
TrendsSep 26, 2022
Vahan Collabs With Wolf on a Jewelry BoxIt’s the first time in 50 years the brand has made something other than jewelry.
Brought to you by
6 Steps to Start a Dynamic Company CultureLearn how to better serve your employees, customers and community by having a dynamic and supportive company culture.
Events & AwardsSep 26, 2022
Texas Jewelers Association Rolls Out New Format for Design CompetitionThe competition takes place in tandem with TJA’s annual convention, known as the Texas Jewelers Roundup.
Weekly QuizSep 22, 2022
This Week’s QuizTest your knowledge of the latest jewelry news with this quick test.
CollectionsSep 23, 2022
Pandora Reimagines Keith Haring’s Art in New CollectionThe limited-run collection features figures from Haring’s iconic street art on charms, bracelets, rings, and more.
GradingSep 23, 2022
GIA Career Fair Returns to Carlsbad The Gemological Institute of America also announced plans for events in New York and London in 2023.
Brought to you by
Committing to an Ethical Diamond BusinessWhile ethical mining is essential to a diamond business, they represent only a fraction of the responsibility bestowed on jewelers.
SourcingSep 23, 2022
See the Items in Gem Legacy’s 4th Anniversary Benefit Auction One hundred percent of proceeds will benefit the nonprofit’s silicosis prevention initiative.
CollectionsSep 23, 2022
Piece of the Week: Emily Weld Collins’ AmuletInspired by antique coins, it depicts a “hippocamp” from Greek mythology.
EditorsSep 22, 2022
4 Things Seen and Heard at the 2022 HardRock Summit Gemstones Editor Brecken Branstrator dishes on the latest color to trend, the show floor buzz, and more from Denver.
TrendsSep 22, 2022
There’s a New Book on Tiffany & Co.Written by historian Vivienne Becker, it accompanies this summer’s Tiffany jewelry exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery.
Supplier BulletinSep 22, 2022
Using Commerce Data to Outshine the Competition in the Jewelry IndustrySponsored by Bloomreach
SourcingSep 22, 2022
First Diamond Recovered From Burgundy’s Ellendale Restart Burgundy also announced the retail launch of its diamond brand, Maison Mazerea.
Events & AwardsSep 22, 2022
JCK Industry Fund Now Accepting ApplicationsOrganizations with a project or initiative aimed at bettering the jewelry industry are encouraged to apply.
Lab-GrownSep 21, 2022
An Updated Look at the Lab-Grown Diamond Market: Size, Pricing, and More As the end of 2022 draws near, National Jeweler offers another deep dive into lab-grown diamond market data.
TrendsSep 21, 2022
These Are the Diamond Jewels to Stock for the HolidaysThese trending-yet-timeless pieces are no-brainers for customers in search of the perfect gift.
SourcingSep 21, 2022
A Day in the Life: Daniel Namdar, Fancy Color Diamond SpecialistNamdar joins a long line of diamond experts, but his love of the trade was learned rather than inherited.
Lab-GrownSep 21, 2022
Looking Ahead: 4 Factors That Could Shape Lab-Grown Diamonds’ Future Growing supply and falling prices likely will make differentiation a necessity and a reality, according to analyst Paul Zimnisky.
AuctionsSep 21, 2022
Egyptomania at Sotheby’s: See the Egyptian Revival Jewels Heading to Auction The auction house is celebrating 100 years since the discovery of King Tut’s tomb.
MajorsSep 21, 2022
Claire’s Expands Walmart PartnershipThe chain’s jewelry and accessories are now available in 2,500 Walmart locations.
Events & AwardsSep 21, 2022
Ethical Gem Fair Heads to NYC for the First TimeThe event is slated for Oct. 20-22 at Brooklyn Metal Works.
MajorsSep 21, 2022
Hearts On Fire Announces Sales Teams ChangesJacqueline Raffi has been promoted to vice president, sales, North America.
CrimeSep 20, 2022
Customs Seizes More Than 700 Counterfeit Cartier ‘Love’ Bracelets Agents in Cincinnati intercepted three shipments of fake brand-name jewels that would be worth more than $10 million if genuine.
ColumnistsSep 20, 2022
The Smart Lab: 5 Holiday Shopping Predictions for 2022From free shipping to early shopping, Emmanuel Raheb outlines a handful of factors expected to shape the holiday season this year.
Events & AwardsSep 20, 2022
Harwell Godfrey Nabs CFDA Fashion Award NominationThe sole fine jewelry nominee, the brand is up for an award in the emerging designer category.
MajorsSep 20, 2022
Signet Expands Loyalty Program, Adds Personal Jewelry InsuranceCustomers earn one “gem” for every dollar spent as part of the “Vault Rewards” program, unlocking discounts and special member-only offers.
