For a long time, an outgoing personality was one of the most desired characteristics in a hiring profile for sales professionals. Perhaps, for some, it still is. A different characteristic that is increasingly appreciated today is intellectual curiosity. 

Although curiosity is widely considered to be an innate trait, it certainly seems to vary in degrees between people. We probably all know sales professionals that really roll up their sleeves and attempt to learn everything they can, and others that ask very few questions and only seem to wait until they can break in and talk about themselves and their solutions…

Curiosity involves an intentional effort to truly understand a person or situation. When we exhibit curiosity, we show a sincere desire to learn – not just at a surface level, but deeper. The benefits of curiosity are numerous, and include:

• Showing the customer or prospect that you have an authentic interest in better understanding them and their situation. We do this by listening intently and asking questions that drill deeper. 
• Building an elevated level of trust with the customer by showing this sincere interest.
• Gaining insights that others might miss, which we can leverage as part of our competitive advantage.
• Learning more about the customer and their direction, which helps us better understand how we can leverage our solutions to assist them in driving their critical outcomes.
• Positioning yourself as a curious person that wants to learn and does not make assumptions.

Many of us may not naturally be as curious as we would like to be. Can we become more curious? Absolutely. By understanding the benefits of being curious, and by practicing this behavior intentionally, we can foster more curiosity. The successes that follow will inspire us to continue to get better in the future. Eventually, this curiosity will be one of our great assets.