COGNITIVE SKILLS SPOTLIGHT 1: PASSION DRIVEN CURIOSITY
Curiosity is quite simply “the desire to know” – is a cognitive trait. It is born out of an instinctive human tendency to acquire knowledge or information.
History credits curiosity for most leaps made by humanity in science, arts, language, and commerce. Story goes that inventor Edwin Land’s daughter was impatient to see a photo her father had just snapped. When he explained that the film had to be processed, she wondered aloud, “Why do we have to wait for the picture?” That inspired Land to invent the Polaroid. So, the inspiration behind the instant camera was a three-year-old’s curious question
Curiosity in adults can be sustained and nurtured as a valuable Cognitive skill
4 types of Curiosity: According to Mario Livio, astrophysicist and author of the book “Why? What Makes Us Curious” there are 4 types of curiosity
- Perceptual Curiosity - Curiosity created by anything novel, ambiguous or puzzling prompting us to use our senses to investigate. Example: Aroma of a new dish wafting from the kitchen when you enter your home makes you curious about what is being cooked
- Epistemic Curiosity - Curiosity driven by a deep desire, an appetite, for knowledge. Example: You are extremely curious to learn why AI and ChatGPT are suddenly so much in the news and how they can be used in sales to sell better
- Specific Curiosity - Desire for a particular piece of information. Example: How many units of the new product launched by our competitor were sold last month?
- Diversive Curiosity - The restless desire to explore or seek novel stimulation to avoid boredom. Current day neuroscience calls it “dopamine driven” Example: “Let me check for notifications on the war situation and stock market movement”
5 Tangible Business Benefits of Curiosity
A Harvard Business Review article titled The Business Case for Curiosity by Francesca Gino published in 2018, identifies 5 clear, tangible business benefits of having curious people at work.
- Curiosity promotes adaptability to uncertain markets and external pressures
- Curiosity generates creative solutions, as it triggers deep and rational thought even in tough situations. An INSEAD study of artisans found that one-unit increase in curiosity was associated with 34% greater creativity
- Curious leaders win respect and inspire collaboration as they inspire trust and remain open to possibilities.
- Encouraging Curiosity enables more open communication and better team performance
- People in curious environments experience higher levels of empathy and lesser conflicts, as people to put themselves in each other’s shoes, take interest in others’ ideas instead of fixating on their own perspective
- Since curious people are less prone to confirmation bias and stereotyping others, they make fewer errors in decision-making
Curiosity Makes you a Super Salesperson
Being a curious salesperson can help you surprise Customers with superior solutions. If you are curious, you can add value in every sales visit as you will have something fresh to share or learn. Curiosity makes you a life-long learner who is getting better all the time. In the process, you are well informed and find it easier to win the trust of C Level Customers. All of this adds up to your standing out as a Sales Professional. And the good news is that there are structured ways in which everyone can learn and nurture Curiosity as a Cognitive Skill
“The obstacle on the path becomes the way”
– Marcus Aurelius
Welcome to the 'New Mercuri Mail'.. The India Journal of Mercuri International!
This is the 'Go To Place Sales Newsletter and Journal' of the discerning Sales Community! Continuing its 35 year long tradition of sharing knowledge curated from the best of sales and management literature, here come interesting new features, all with an unwavering focus on making a difference!
Happy reading and reflecting!
Team Mercuri India
The India Journal of Mercuri International - SEP 2022
