How to Improve Relationships and Win Sales With Gratitude

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought gratitude would be a good topic for this week’s blog post. Expressing gratitude is not like Jack and the Beanstalk’s magic beans.  It isn’t a quick fix process where you say thank you and your relationship improves and the prospect makes a purchase. Nor is it a fake smile or a half-hearted thank you. It is the expression of true heartfelt gratitude that has a positive impact on you and the person receiving the words or actions of appreciation. It is a characteristic you have or can develop over time. It also takes time for the effects to occur. However, it is powerful and naturally rewarding.

Research Proves It is True

I recently completed the Yale University Course The Science of Well-Being taught by Professor Laurie Santos. In the class, we learned that research now confirms both expressing your thanks to others and writing in a gratitude journal can significantly improve your overall sense of well-being. I know as I have been keeping a gratitude journal. During the course, my sense of well-being improved a half point on a scale of 1 to 5 in just four weeks.  That is a great success, especially when there are things in life that could get you stressed or feeling down.  After all, life does happen.  

Professor Santos told us that gratitude is an exchange of positive emotion and that studies show it strengthens relationships. Research from other universities also shows that grateful people are more agreeable and more open. Therefore, when you express gratitude, sales conversations can be open and positive.  Another encouraging aspect of expressing gratitude is that acts of appreciation for another person often motivates them to do something gracious for you. A client to whom you have shown your gratitude may be more willing to provide references or names of possible prospects.

Professor Santos suggested we write a letter of gratitude and deliver it in person to someone for whom we were grateful. Everyone in the course noticed that immediately after delivering the letter, their happiness levels and life satisfaction were dramatically improved.  We checked later in the class, and the act still had a positive impact.  Research has shown that gratitude has a direct and long-lasting effect.  A 75-year study by Harvard University found that positive relationships contributed most to life-long happiness and good memories. Therefore, the more gratitude we express and experience, the better our relationships and the happier our lives will be.

Mind  and Body Link

We also learned that there is a link between the mind and body so, here gratitude has a double benefit! The feeling appreciation generates when we are grateful helps us to have healthier minds and with that healthier bodies. With a healthier mind, you can provide creative insights and respond quickly to customer questions. Your healthier body will allow you to have more selling days in the field and you’ll be feeling great.  That has to be a positive impact on your performance.

Other Impacts on Sales

What are some of the other impacts of gratitude on sales? People buy from people they like and trust. Expressing sincere gratitude increases the likelihood the contact will like you, and along with the other trust attributes discussed in our latest podcast, it will increase trust.  Since gratitude contributes to your well-being and overall happiness, you become the kind of person clients and prospects are happy to see.

Getting Started

How do you get started improving your relationships and winning more sales with gratitude? I highly recommend the Yale Course on The Science of Well Being by Laurie Santos offered Free on Coursera.org.  If you don’t have time to take the course, then here are some steps I learned from it:

1. Express gratitude before your morning coffee. It will promote a positive mental attitude and motivate you to make the most of the day.
2. Keep a gratitude journal and at the end of the day write down five positive things that happened that day or things that you appreciate.
3. Offer a sincere thank you to someone and ensure you include what they did or why you are thanking them. Don’t forget to thank family members and friends. You will see a positive reaction.
4. Pay it forward, as it spreads positivity. It may not return a favor to you, but it may network to someone else. Then it may find its way back to you from someone else in the future.
5. Watch the Shawn Achor video The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance. You will love it and laugh. https://archive.org/details/ShawnAchor_2011X.
6. Take time to look for the small things like the flowers blooming in the gardens you pass, or the pleasant smell from your neighbors great cooking or the local restaurant. Appreciate life.

Take my challenge and start taking action on the suggestions in this blog post for the next four weeks. I am sure you will see a positive impact and want to continue doing them.

You can learn more about sales, storytelling for business and Lean in other blog posts and podcasts on our website: https://salestrainingsolutions.com. 

About the Author: Phyllis Mikolaitis is a sales coach, author, and speaker with over 30 years’ global experience. She is dedicated to taking you beyond the typical “how to” courses to the heart of persuasion techniques. She teaches you how to incorporate insights and stories to win the sale. Phyllis has also had training in Leadership Through Quality, Six Sigma and Lean. Visit Phyllis and her business partner John Switzer on other pages on https://salestrainingsolutions.com. The links on our website allow you to listen to our podcasts or catch up on past blog posts on this and other sales topics. 

For Lunch and Learn sessions, face-to-face or virtual training and coaching contact us at 703-819-5872 https://salestrainingsolutions.com