Liking and Trusting as a Criteria for Business Dealings

Since I attended the American Society on Aging conference this year, I have been focused on the importance of social engagement as well as mental and physical, for the person as they age.  Great article in Forbes by Ken Jensen about how important personality and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead are to success. Research carried out by the Carnegie Institute of Technology shows that only 15 percent of success is due to technical knowledge. Additionally, Jenson writes, that “Nobel Prize winning Israeli-American psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don’t, even if the likeable person is offering a lower quality product or service at a higher price.”

So,what does this say about sales and marketing and relationships? In a nutshell, it means really caring about the person with whom you are trying to do business. It means being aware of yourself, and of others, and actively trying to build relationships. It means living the Golden Rule. It means taking care of your body and respecting how healthy you are so that you function better. Who would have thought that the mind, body, spirit combination would also apply to marketing?

Jenson suggests that  a focus on strengthening Emotional Intelligence, Moral Intelligence, and Body Intelligence is  key. Even though more difficult to measure, the significance of these kinds of intelligence appears to be far greater than simply the IQ of the person. A lot to think about on this Monday morning, but, it seems that the key to longevity is also the key to success in business.