Selling is a far-reaching and often global endeavor. Your sales team may work with clients and prospects from all over the world. This means they need strong cultural competence to know how to interact with people of different ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

According to Christina Blacken, a public speaker and founder of TheNewQuo.com, improving cultural competency starts with assessing your own identity and biases. We dig deeper into how Blacken says leaders can improve their cultural competency in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Consider yourself. Blacken recommends that leaders ask themselves key questions such as “How do I identify and what beliefs about these identities did I learn growing up?” and “What assumptions or stereotypes do I hold about people who do not have these same identities?” She says that exploring your unique identity may make you more conscious of the types of services and products you provide as well as how your company’s culture is shaped.

Define your team’s core values. Blacken recommends choosing five core values surrounding why your team exists and how it operates. You can then assess how well you express these values in how you conduct business. For example, if you say that you are detail-oriented but you do not assess how well your product or service serves non-English speakers, you may have a gap between values and outcomes.

Conduct an audit. Blacken says it can be helpful to take a closer look at your internal and external communications as well as your products and services. You may be inadvertently using language or colloquialisms that have a history of bias against certain groups of people. If you’re not sure where to start, consider talking to a diversity or inclusion consultant.

Expand your cultural knowledge. Take time to explore books, podcasts and movies outside of your cultural scope. Blacken says it can also be helpful to read about social issues and the history of inequitable policies when it comes to visible identity like gender or race. The more you diversify your sources of information about other cultures, the better chance you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the world around you, she says.

Improve your conflict resolution skills. You won’t always see eye to eye with everyone you interact with professionally. Instead of going on the defense when differences arise, try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. You may have a cultural gap you need to address. And keep in mind that the more you can work through uncomfortable situations, the better you will be with navigating across cultures and creating a more culturally competent team, notes Blacken.

Implement best practices. When you prioritize cultural competence, you won’t be stuck in reaction mode. Consider requiring your sales reps to regularly complete inclusion and sensitive training, suggests Blacken. You might create a cultural competency checklist that helps you assess the visuals you use in your sales collateral and marketing pieces.

Cultural competency is a key skill to develop in any field, including sales. Knowing how to communicate with all different kinds of people will help you open new doors and build valuable relationships.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Christina Blacken is a public speaker, performer, podcast host of “Sway them in Color” and founder of TheNewQuo.com, a professional development and communication consultancy.