4 things about human psychology for career development and building successful business

We are not won by arguments that we can analyze but by tone and temper, by the manner which is the man himself.

Samuel Butler

Spark the interest towards your idea in colleagues, managers and investors. Influence people and get support. Lead your team and establish its effective work. All of this will be achievable if you plunge into psychology. This deep and subtle science will give you an edge for reaching your goals.

In order to do business and make a career, you have to understand principles of human mind and human behavior as well as how decisions and actions are being made. With this knowledge, you will be able to interact with your colleagues effectively, predict your investors’ reactions and create products that will be successful among your clients.

Life hacks, picked by Storist experts out of books of human psychology will help you with this.  

1. Giving people what they want is the fundamental principle of business psychology

The first thing that will earn you support and let you attract customers is trust. Remember – most clients would prefer to buy a product from the one they trust. Even if it does not satisfy all their needs.  

Trust derives from affection. In order to be liked by people, you need to be (or seem to be) similar to them, understand their world model, temper and needs.

When you promote an idea or a product, present what particular advantages it gives to the audience. Ask yourself two questions: “How can I make them want to do it?” and “How to present it from the perspective of their needs?”

When talking to a person, you must answer his question “What does it do to me?” You may also talk about the benefits of your idea to the company and to the society. Actively use the pronoun “we”.

It is important that your opponent understands and shares your goal. Present it like an opportunity, not like a problem. The opportunity is always positive.

2. The value is in people that surround us

This affirmation allows you to effectively interact with any person. Besides, there are other communicative skills that may help you get what you want from people:

• Hold back from criticizing and arguing.
• Don’t put anyone down and don’t try to show your supremacy. It is better to admire your partners’ achievements and make them feel their significance.
• Tend to do 25% of talking and 75% of listening. Don’t have your head in the clouds during the conversation. Don’t interrupt, show sincere interest in your partner’s life and wishes.
• Respect another person’s opinion, never tell “You’re wrong”. This phrase will instantly turn your partner into an opponent. It is much better to say “I have a different opinion, but I might be wrong. And if I am, I want to know why. Let’s discuss this.” This approach is disarming to your partner, it makes him more sensible and he might even thank you for understanding.
• Be friendly – smile, call your partner by his name, show your willingness to help, congratulate if it is a significant holiday for him, etc. Give human touch to those who need it.
• Be sincere, avoid hypocrisy. Try to recognize good things in people, admire them, their qualities and accomplishments.

Pitching Ideas by Jeroen van Geel

How to make people fall in love with your ideas?

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3. Turn your opponent into an ally

How do you ally with a person who is predisposed against your idea, against you personally, etc.?

Start the conversation in a soft and friendly way. Have at least five minutes of pleasant talking before discussing your issue. Point out that you both desire the same result. The only difference is in methods. Try to make another person agree with you as soon as you can. This way he will be more open to the dialogue. The key is to not let your opponent say “no”.  

Let your partner talk, don’t interrupt. He won’t pay attention to your reasons until he shares his. Listen, be patient and not biased, encouraging him to share his thoughts. Your purpose is to direct him the way, which is favorable to you. Let him make the final conclusion and feel that he came up with this genius idea.  

If you realize that you’re wrong – admit it.6 This way you will give your opponent a chance to feel his significance. There will be nothing else to do for him than to be forgiving and merciful towards you.

Successful communication depends on the ability of understanding another person’s point of view. Ask yourself a question: “How would I feel and react if I was in his shoes?”

To draw attention, you have to be lively, interesting and even dramatic while presenting your ideas. You have to be a bit of a showman.

4. Approach people depending on their personality type

Keep an eye on your conversation partner before presenting your idea or your product:

What kind of energy is he leaning towards – outside (extravert) or inside (introvert)

EXTRAVERT energizes from communicating with people. His emotions are open, but he gets easily distracted. This kind of person first acts, then thinks.

In order to connect with him, try to engage him into discussion – ask questions, show interest in his opinion.

INTROVERT energizes from inside himself. He likes to learn. He first thinks, then acts.

How to get an introvert interested? Show him that you are familiar with the matter. Demonstrate him the deep idea analysis, but don’t go into too much detail. Remember – he is good at reading between the lines.

How the person perceives the world – through senses (sensor) or facts (intuit)

SENSOR handles information using the five senses. Facts and practical reasons are crucial for him. Try to give him transparent instructions and clear phrasing – Who? What? Where? When?

INTUIT looks for future opportunities. He makes plans, likes to dream and perceives the world as a sequence of patterns and correlations. Use creative and unorthodox approaches. Show him the idea from different perspectives. Focus on correlation – What for? Why?

How the person handles information – through feelings (feeler) or logic (thinker)

FEELER makes decisions based on his feelings. He puts group agenda in a higher priority, than his own. Empathic. During the conversation try to focus on emotional arguments (for example, social benefit), play on his heartstrings.   

THINKER makes decisions based only on facts. He is interested in cause and effect relationships. Talk to him frankly and directly. Focus on facts. Demonstrate how effective your idea is.

As you can see, a person’s perception depends on a personality type. You have to know each type in order to present your idea and your product in the right way. 90% of success depends on it. 

Conclusion

Jeroen van Geel, an international speaker and UX design writer, recommends studying your audience. He has many years of experience under his belt as a pioneer, designer and strategist. In his book “Pitching Ideas” about psychology of human behavior he has described basic personality types and answered the questions: “How to prepare the presentation of your idea?” “How to develop the skills of public speaking?” “How to achieve a WOW-effect?” “How to react to someone’s doubts and criticism of your idea?” and others.

The key ideas of Jeroen van Geel’s book are structured on the Storist platform. There is also visual material. And certainly, an interactive simulator for practicing new skills – the story, in which you have to choose the right steps. Each one has a detailed commentary and expert’s recommendations.  

At Storist you will need just 60 minutes to complete the course on “Pitching Ideas” and learn to be a good judge of character. Those skills will help you become successful in your career and business.

Darya