According to Joseph E. LeDoux, Ph.D., a world-renowned neuroscientist at New York University, trust is a social emotion. It is the ability to put yourself in the mind of another and predict what they are thinking or what they will do. Psychologists call this the “theory of mind.”

To provoke trust, a sales person has to be able to put himself in the mind of the prospect and then perform to the expectation of the prospect. The more “predictable” a salesperson performs to the prospect’s expectation the better the prospect feels. Therefore, a sales person who doesn’t startle prospects with unexpected behaviors will do better and sell more.

How good are you at reading prospects and responding to what they need and expect?