Throughout the process of selling to someone, it can feel like a lot of pressure at times. This can be for a number of different reasons, but that pressure could either be felt before, during, or after the effort of moving someone. The author Daniel Pink uses the term “buoyancy” meaning “the ability to keep moving forward despite the obstacles”. He discusses three elements of buoyancy and explains their structure and what is important to consider when you encounter each of them. Let’s take a look at these element and identify their significance in a sales scenario.
The first element Pink talks about is “interrogative self-talk”. This takes place before the interaction and is absolutely crucial to understand because it sets the tone for the two remaining elements. The way to effectively self-talk isn’t by merely shifting your emotions through having a positive mindset, but by shifting the “linguistic categories”. This means you want to go from making statements to asking questions. Instead of telling yourself you will do something, try asking yourself “will I?” and see how effective it is.
The second element of buoyancy is “positive ratios”. This occurs during the interaction and emphasizes the persona you give off. The rule of thumb is to have a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative emotions. This is the sweet spot that sales people should aim for in order to create the best possible impression with the potential buyer. Having disproportionately highly positive emotions could foster self-delusion and prevent any self-improvement. Too low of a ratio could potentially make others languish, which dramatically reduces your chances of making the sale.
The third and final element of buoyancy is “explanatory style”. Once the interaction is said and done, it is important to look back and identify the worst aspects of the experience. This step requires you to separate your emotions from the situation because taking your failures to heart can leave a damaging affect on your self-worth. Failures and short comings must be looked at in a logical manner to learn from them and carry those lessons into your next interaction.
BoweryJE22
That’s a great point to highlight in the “explanatory style” in that you should be able to reflect upon your failures without dealing with it emotionally. This is a great perspective to have in order to have to 3:1 ratio of positivity.