The Power of Curiosity

Have you made someone curious without being curious yourself?

Curiosity is a critical part of our success as a species more than many realize.? It was curiosity that drove our species to spread across the globe and overcome our fear of the unknown.? We can act on our curiosity to invent tools, find answers to questions, and manipulate our surroundings more than any other species.? This is why I believe that curiosity is one of the most underrated yet, most powerful skills, in successful sales, but only when it is genuine.

If you have ever been at a dinner or party and talked with my mom, you most likely experienced the feeling that you were the only person in a crowded room.? Her genuine curiosity lowered barriers and created instant engagement and a genuine mutual interest.? She was able to draw out insightful aspects of who this person is, what drives this person, and what this person wants to do in the future.? In turn, there was interest in my mom’s story, which developed into a mutual discovery and introspective conversation.? At the end of the party my mom knew everything about everybody.

I value curiosity in sales above all other attributes as it is the basis of asking the right questions.

As I transitioned from the world of IT/Telecom to life sciences, I discovered a profound appreciation for the people involved, their diverse skills, and backgrounds from finance to nursing, how each person was part of a complex potential discovery that could improved patients’ lives. ?It was clear to me that this is the most exciting and complex area to work in and then throw in regulation on top of it. ?This successful shift to life sciences illuminated my curiosity, which I believe made me into an agile learner.?

The ability to pique curiosity before selling is a formidable challenge. ?Selling advantages or features cannot be successful absent of context for the customer. ?Curiosity is the cornerstone of effective engagement and critical for asking the right questions. ?How do you know where you want to go if you don’t understand what need you are fulfilling for your customer?? By developing confidence and trust, one can move from selling to guiding customers to articulate their challenges.? Momentum is maintained through the progressive alignment of need with offered benefit.? At this point the true sense of urgency is discovered, which creates the opportunity to present tailored solutions that resonate with customer needs.

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Bibliography:

1.?????? Harari, Yuval Noah. “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind”. Harper, 2015.

2.?????? Konrath, J. "Selling to Big Companies" New York: Kaplan Publishing, 2013.

3.?????? Dixon, Matthew, and Brent Adamson. “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation”. Penguin, 2011.

4.?????? Pink, D. H. "To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others" New York: Riverhead Books, 2012.