Sales EQ: How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal

Description

The New Psychology of Selling The sales profession is in the midst of a perfect storm. Buyers have more power―more information, more at stake, and more control over the sales process―than any time in history. Technology is bringing disruptive change at an ever-increasing pace, creating fear and uncertainty that leaves buyers clinging to the status quo. Deteriorating attention spans have made it difficult to get buyers to sit still long enough to “challenge,” “teach,” “help,” give “insight,” or sell “value.” And a relentless onslaught of “me-too” competitors have made differentiating on the attributes of products, services, or even price more difficult than ever. Legions of salespeople and their leaders are coming face to face with a cold hard truth: what once gave salespeople a competitive edge―controlling the sales process, command of product knowledge, an arsenal of technology, and a great pitch―are no longer guarantees of success. Yet this is where the vast majority of the roughly $20 billion spent each year on sales training goes. It’s no wonder many companies are seeing 50 percent or more of their salespeople miss quota. Yet, in this new paradigm, an elite group of top 1 percent sales professionals are crushing it. In our age of technology where information is ubiquitous and buyer attention spans are fleeting, these superstars have learned how to leverage a new psychology of selling ―Sales EQ―to keep prospects engaged, create true competitive differentiation, as well as shape and influence buying decisions. These top earners are acutely aware that the experience of buying from them is far more important than products, prices, features, and solutions. In Sales EQ , Jeb Blount takes you on an unprecedented journey into the behaviors, techniques, and secrets of the highest earning salespeople in every industry and field. You’ll learn: How to answer the 5 Most Important Questions in Sales to make it virtually impossible for prospects to say no How to master 7 People Principles that will give you the power to influence anyone to do almost anything How to shape and align the 3 Processes of Sales to lock out competitors and shorten the sales cycle How to Flip the Buyer Script to gain complete control of the sales conversation How to Disrupt Expectations to pull buyers towards you, direct their attention, and keep them engaged How to leverage Non-Complementary Behavior to eliminate resistance, conflict, and objections How to employ the Bridge Technique to gain the micro-commitments and next steps you need to keep your deals from stalling How to tame Irrational Buyers, shake them out of their comfort zone , and shape the decision making process How to measure and increase you own Sales EQ using the 15 Sales Specific Emotional Intelligence Markers And so much more! Sales EQ begins where The Challenger Sale, Strategic Selling, and Spin Selling leave off. It addresses the human relationship gap in the modern sales process at a time when sales organizations are failing because many salespeople have never been taught the human skills required to effectively engage buyers at the emotional level. Jeb Blount makes a compelling case that sales specific emotional intelligence (Sales EQ) is more essential to success than education, experience, industry awareness, product knowledge, skills, or raw IQ; and, sales professionals who invest in developing and improving Sales EQ gain a decisive competitive advantage in the hyper-competitive global marketplace. Sales EQ arms salespeople and sales leaders with the tools to identify their most important sales specific emotional intelligence developmental needs along with strategies, techniques, and frameworks for reaching ultra-high performance and earnings, regardless of sales process, industry, deal complexity, role (inside or outside), product or service (B2B or B2C). Review: Accessible and Timeless - As an admitted fan of Jeb Blount it was with great anticipation that I read through Jeb's eighth sales book - Sales EQ: How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal. And I was richly rewarded for my effort. I love this book. In Sales EQ Jeb Blount tackles a critical, yet probably the most neglected aspect of selling - emotion - and goes on to take important abstract concepts and convert them into usable knowledge and practical steps to help every professional take their game to a higher level. There is deep wisdom here and Sales EQ is a book that will make you feel both smarter and more fulfilled after having read it. Mastering Emotion Sales EQ delves into the emotional aspects of why people buy and why it is so vital that we as sales professionals understand and hone our sales EQ. This means mastering our own emotions as well and understanding and connecting with our customer's. Considerable time is invested in discussing the importance of thinking and feeling from your customer's perspective. For those who are fans of behavioral economics and cognitive anomalies like I am, there is much in this book for you. Even better, Jeb describes these in very accessible terms and lays everything out in his typical straightforward style. The Most Important Factor Product knowledge is no longer sufficient (if it ever was). Connection and human interaction can trump every aspect of the buying/selling dynamic. Jeb articulates four levels of sales intelligence - Innate Intelligence, Acquired Intelligence, Technological Intelligence & Emotional Intelligence - how to combine these four and and why Sales EQ is the most important of all. Studies from HR Chally & CEB both confirm that you - the salesperson - are the most important factor in determining the outcome of the sale. You are more important than brand, more important than product, more important than service and more important than price. Within the pages of Sales EQ is the both the explanation of why this is true and the actionable advice that will help each of us leverage it to the betterment of both our clients and ourselves. Progressively Practical Jeb's book gets progressively more practical as you read through it. We start with concepts and end with very tactical advice, actions and tips as we graduate to the end. In my opinion this is exactly the right flow and I would argue that Jeb navigates this flawlessly. Heuristics and behavioral economics can become complex yet there is not a single hint of complexity. Jeb's quality as a writer really shines here. Everything flows smoothly and naturally from concept to action. I am tempted to outline just how practical this becomes but a quick glance at the table of contents will illustrate just how constructive things become. If you came for actionable tips - you'll get it. The Final Frontier As technology and process reach parity in every industry, Sales EQ addresses the last mile - the most important mile - of the sales experience. Even if you have mastered everything else, this is where it ultimately lands. Emotional Intelligence is the final and most influential frontier for sales professionals. The information in Sales EQ will be just as valid fifty years from now as it is today - because it's timeless. For that reason I urge every sales professional to read this work and continually hone your own EQ to the betterment of you, your loved ones and your clients. Review: Must-Read for Sales Professionals - What I Loved: The book clearly explains why EQ matters more than just product knowledge or traditional sales tactics. Real-world examples and practical strategies make it easy to apply concepts to daily sales challenges. It dives deep into how to read clients, build trust, and respond to emotional cues — skills that many overlook. The sections on self-awareness and self-regulation are especially valuable for maintaining control in tough negotiations. Minor Points: Some chapters felt a bit repetitive, but the overall message stayed strong and engaging. It’s more suited for sales professionals dealing with complex B2B sales rather than simple transactional selling.