Mastery is the feeling of control over one’s life. It is also the subject of Robert Greene’s book, Mastery. Such power comes from an extensive study of a subject where the work becomes an extension of our individuality.

Such ability is desirable for everyone. Yet, few people become masters. Why? A huge reason is our inability to deal with people, our lack of knowledge of human nature.

Without this knowledge, we’re stuck in the first phase of mastery, the apprenticeship. However, sales is a great opportunity to build this understanding.

How Sales Deepens Our Understanding of Human Nature

The key to human nature is developing social intelligence. Social intelligence is seeing people in their most realistic light. It involves focusing on others, reading their behavior, and seeing what motivates them.

There are several ways sales develops this.

Seeing the Other Perspective

To make a great sale, we must cultivate a strong connection with the customer. This means we must focus our attention outward on their problems.

We must think from their perspectives and ask questions such as

• Why would I not want this product?
• What would make me say yes?
• How does this product help my business?

Sales also involves researching our clients to find a good fit. We learn more about what motivates them and what problems they face. Each time we research, we become better at identifying someone’s nature. We improve our social intelligence.

Rather than reading a cold script, the best salespeople personalize their message. This establishes rapport and shows the customer we care about their problems. And we listen, seeing things from their perspective.

Rejection

A common issue in developing human nature is the prevalence of The Naïve Perspective. The Naïve Perspective is viewing people through the lens of our self-interest. We assume everything a person does involves us, focusing us inward instead of outward.

This perspective is untenable in sales, as rejection is inevitable. Even the best salespeople deal with daily rejection. If we take the rejection personally, we’ll never make a sale.

Instead, we should ignore our egos and understand that a rejection doesn’t mean the prospect dislikes us. It probably means the product isn’t for them.

Over time, we’ll learn to manage our emotions.

Door-to-Door

Door-to-door selling is great for developing social intelligence. Being in-person allows us to focus on body language.

We learn to pay less attention to what people say and more to how they say it. This includes their tone of voice, the look in their eyes, and how closed off they appear. These are signals that reveal something closer to their true motivations.

Emphasize people’s actions, as behavior tells us more about motives. This skill is useful for dealing with co-workers. Nobody will voice their manipulative intentions. However, discerning body language gives us a glimpse into those intentions. This prepares us for the worst.

Emphasis on Psychology

Human nature is the study of human psychology. It’s about understanding motivation, fear, and human tendencies.

Sales also involve the study of psychology, with an emphasis on persuasion. This overlap means our study of sales will creep into our study of human nature, and vice versa.

Summary

To master a domain, we must learn to deal with people. But, the roadmap to understanding human nature isn’t clear. Working in sales can help us get this knowledge, so we better prepare for manipulation. Then, we can focus on what’s truly essential for progressing in our careers.