Knowledge is Bliss

By: Brent Patmos

In reference to Ignorance is not bliss...

External input is a key component and valuable resource when one of the biggest problems facing businesses and executives alike is internal isolation. Business owners would be well served to put salespeople through their paces and really evaluate the salespersons knowledge, sincerity and common sense indexes. Salespeople who truly follow human relationship principles understand the importance of asking superior questions centered around the customer, actively listening to the responses from the customer and then speaking with an expedience and effectiveness that demonstrates their true levels of knowledge, sincerity and common sense.

The salesperson isn't the only one at fault. Internal isolation leads to external ineffectiveness with customers. It is created when an owner or executive suffer from their own lack of common sense because they believe that every problem they face can be solved with an internal resource. Equally distressing is when an owner or executive quickly, without putting the salesperson through their paces, accepts the words of the best story teller as the words of an expert.

Salespeople who follow human relationship principles understand that expertise is earned and business owners who understand human relationship principles understand that expertise must be demonstrated before it is validated and brought into their company to impact the culture of the company.