How Bias Impacts Success.

"It's written all over your face."

?"I knew how you felt about me before you said a word."

Unconscious bias refers to the stereotypes or prejudices individuals hold about someone without even realizing it. These biases can be based on a variety of factors, such as race, gender, age, appearance, socio-economic status, and more, but you get it.

Remember, we are all in sales, and in that context, unconscious bias can impact how salespeople interact with prospective clients. Simply put, a salesperson may unconsciously favor a client who shares similar characteristics or interests or may even discriminate against a client they view as different or unfamiliar.

Unconscious bias can significantly impact one's ability to be present and fully engaged in the present moment.

Studies have shown that individuals with unconscious biases towards certain groups of people are less likely to be attuned to the needs and perspectives of those individuals. This can lead to missed opportunities for connection and understanding, which can ultimately hinder sales success.

This bias can prevent salespeople ( and everyone's in sales) from effectively engaging with a diverse range of clients and interesting people, leading to lost sales. It can also damage a company's reputation if clients feel that they were treated unfairly or unequally.

Unconscious bias is a natural human tendency and cannot be completely eliminated. However, by raising awareness and taking proactive steps to address it, companies can create a more inclusive and welcoming sales environment for all clients.

Emotional intelligence ( EQ) plays a crucial role in managing unconscious bias in sales. Having high EQ means being aware of one's own emotions as well as other people's emotions and being able to manage and regulate them effectively.?

When it comes to managing bias, emotional intelligence can help salespeople to recognize their own personal biases, which can destroy the opportunity and work towards avoiding them. If you notice that you are biased towards a particular group of people, use EQ to understand and manage your feelings towards that group.

EQ also allows salespeople to:

1. Better understand and connect with their clients, regardless of their background or identity. With emotional intelligence, salespeople can recognize and respond appropriately to the emotions of their clients, making them feel understood and valued. This can help build stronger client relationships, leading to more successful sales interactions.
2. Improve communication skills, helping salespeople develop more effective communication methods with diverse clients. By identifying and managing their emotions, salespeople can better navigate potentially difficult sales situations, staying calm and focused even in the face of challenging circumstances.

In short, it ain't rocket science. if you want to achieve more, then you need to understand how your biases impact your presence. Your presence directly impacts your ability to get what you want. Then you must realize that everyone can see how you feel. In other words, you can run but can't hide from your biases.

Todd Cohen, CSP, has been inspiring and motivating audiences for over 15 years, teaching them to sell themselves to achieve goals and incredible success. His sales culture keynotes and workshops are in demand from audiences from every background. Delivering approximately 90 appearances every year worldwide, Todd leaves people with a story to tell and feeling great about themselves!

Todd has just released his third book,?"Mastering the Sales Mindset."