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There is ultimately one thing in our sales skills arsenal that will make us successful sales professionals. Our verbal skills. And what drives our verbal sales skills? Our brains. How much of our brain do we actually get to use? Please indicate your answer below.

a. 5%
b. 10%
c. 11%
d. 100%

“We can no longer claim that…our brain is out of reach.”

And the Correct Answer Is
Despite what we’ve been told, the correct answer is actually “d.” That’s right; we use all of our brain. However, we don’t all get an equal share, unfortunately. As David Gerrold says, “The problem with the gene pool is that there’s no lifeguard.” As evidence that we use our brain in its entirety I’d like to point out that you have probably never heard a doctor say, “Good news, the bullet hit him in the 90% of the brain that he doesn’t use.” No, sadly a bullet to the head will kill someone in the majority of cases because we use every area of our brain.

Sales Advice for Our Brains
The primary way that our customers and prospects evaluate our intelligence is through our verbal sales skills. Since our brains are in charge of our mouths this is not an invalid conclusion on their part. When we speak with a prospect for the first time (phone or in person) they have decided what they think of us within about 15 seconds. Their primary determinant is how well we speak. Sales tip: it’s not only an issue with prospects either. We are constantly adding to, or subtracting from, our perceived value by how well we express ourselves even at our established customers.

Sales Tips for Our Mouths
Since we have access to all of our brain, there is no reason not to develop our speaking skills. We can no longer claim that 90% of our brain is out of reach. Just like a muscle, if not exercised regularly our brain and our ability to express ourselves will atrophy. We can develop our presentation skills by constant practice and by taking speech classes or joining Toastmasters.

With enhanced verbal skills we come across as more intelligent to our customers. This translates to higher perceived value which means a higher-level partnership. However, these abilities can’t be strengthened without actively pursuing improvement.

Related information: The Ten-Percent Myth, The Myth of Body Language in Communication

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Tags: language, speaking

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