Adaptive Selling & More

Why Is Adaptive Selling Important?

Adaptive Selling

• The ability to use different sales presentations for different customers, and the ability to alter and/or change the tone of the conversation based on the nature of each individual sales call and the behavior of the customer

• Adaptive behavior allows you to listen and observe and understand the customer’s needs and the ability to adapt your presentation OR

conversation accordingly

Adaptive Selling• Salespeople practice Adaptive Selling by:

• Creating a sales presentation that addresses customers needs and situation• Mastering communications skills • Being able to process and understand buying signals • Offer customer-specific solutions• Having the ability to identify customer personality types

and think like a customer in order to connect and relate to the buyer

Adaptive Selling Characteristics

Why is Adaptive Selling Important

• Allows customers to feel as though they are being

treated as individuals rather than “one of the herd”• Your presentation sounds as though it is not a “script” or

“canned” • Builds credibility and trust• Engages your prospect/customer

The Importance of Adapting To Behavioral Styles of Buyers

• Capture personality traits• Assess communication style• Can determine how the

buyer will respond• Allows you as a sales person

to know how the buyer is• Thinking• Sensing• Feeling• Intuitive

How much does it cost?

Understanding the Behavior and “Social Style” of a Buyer

Source: Putting Adaptive Selling to Work: www.web-books.com

Adapting To The Buyer’s Personality

ANALYTICAL/ANALYZER – HOW Well organized and orderly Conservative personality Likes facts, figures and details Makes decisions slowly and usually works alone Direct and to the point and considers themselves as experts Good problem solving skills

Needs: To be right and does not like to be challenged Time for decisions Detailed explanations To know the rules

Adapting To The Buyer’s Personality

Driver/Controller – “WHAT” (Low Responsiveness and High Assertiveness)Technical backgroundLikes to have controlLikes facts and figuresLikes to win and is very competitiveDirect and to the pointMakes decisions quicklyDoes not have “warm and fuzzy personality”

NEEDSControlOptionsTo make decisionsActions and resultsTO WIN

Adapting To The Buyer’s Personality

• EXPRESSIVE – “WHO” (High assertiveness and High responsiveness)

• Warm and approachable and likes to build relationships that create positive results and recognition and status

• Persuasive, nurturing and engaging• Creative and can see the big picture – they have a vision• Acts quickly and takes risks – spontaneous and not caught up in the “day-to-

day” details• Likes recognition and status – seeks esteem• Displays trophies and awards & motivational slogans• Desk placed for open contact- unorganized

• NEEDS• To be liked• Recognition and praise• To work with others• Incentives• To Touch

Adapting To The Buyer’s Personality

• Amiable - “WHY” (Low assertiveness and High responsiveness)• Likes close relationships and is a “people person”• Warm and friendly and are team players• Likes casual atmosphere and less conservative• Makes decisions slowly – low motivation• Avoids confrontations and risks• NEEDS• Security, to be trusted• Guarantees• Agreement with others• Appreciation• To avoid conflict

Selling to the Analytical/Analyzer Personality

Analytical/Analyzer – “HOW”

DO’sUse a direct approach… ask direct questionsBe diplomatic – FOCUS ON “HOW”Stick to business… not socialBe organized, be prepared, be specific and preciseProvide concrete examples, emphasize tested and

proven Value-Added features of your product/serviceUse charts, graphs, facts and figuresGive them time to verify the accuracy of your

informationAvoid giving them your personal opinionIllustrate long-term outcomes and optionsProvide a detailed summary of presentation at the closeFollow up with a formal letter, etc

Selling to the Analytical/Analyzer Personality

• Analytical/Analyzer• Do Not• Attempt to be manipulative• Be disorganized and unprepared• Focus on short-term goals and immediate solutions• Become too personal• Try to develop a relationship first meeting• Forget to follow through on promises• Don’t challenge their facts• Push them into making decisions on the spot• Forget to follow-up promptly with details and any promises

you have made

Selling to the Driver/Controller Personality

Driver/Controller – “WHAT”DO’s

Ask direct questions and be clearPresent the facts and focused on the bottom lineBe direct and precise and straightforward, get to the point quicklyMinimize interruptions and distractionsNever try to bluff your way through –provide optionsStay on task and be focused… ask questions to allow them to talk

and to leadSupport objectives and results when appropriate, let them make

their own decisionsDeal with the facts and not the person if you disagree with

somethingFollow up with and provide answers, samples, etc in a formal manner

Selling to the Driver/Controller Personality

• Driver/Controller• DO NOT• Ask questions that distract from the main point of the

presentation• Be disorganized• Do not linger on after presentation… finish and complete

presentation• Persuade on a personal level• Waste their time or say anything that is not relevant• Make a big issue when you disagree with something• Make them wrong personally• Forget to follow up quickly and in formal manner• Do NOT tell them what is best

Selling to the Expressive PersonalityExpressive/Persuasive – “WHO”

DO’SSpend time developing a relationshipSupport their ability to take risks and show them how they can

“Win” Be open to their suggestions, ideas and goalsAsk for their opinions, viewpoint and feedback…open-ended

questionsFocus on the big picture and ask for feedbackProvide ideas for taking actionIntroduce solutions that inspire positive feelingsSend follow up that is light-hearted and appreciative, conveying

respect for their experience and foresight

Selling to the Expressive Personality• Expressive• DO NOT• Expect them to be directly focused on task• Jump right into the hard data and statistics• Stick only to business• Become impatient with them or back them into a corner• Get side tracked when exploring issues• Lose your focus• Restrict them from providing feedback, let them talk• Avoid too much technical jargon to prove your point…. • Forget to follow up presentation – and do not take all the

credit…

Selling to the Amiable Personality

• Amiable – “WHY”• DO’s• Be casual and informal and establish rapport• Make them feel comfortable, play to their personality• Give them recognition and approval• Ask open ended questions to get them to share their opinions• Show them you are interested in them personally• Ask for their feedback throughout the presentation• Show them how they can minimize risks• Provide them with solutions• Follow up quickly and provide references and testimonials

Selling to the Amiable Personality• Amiable• DO NOT• Try to manipulate or overpower them• Move straight to business or rush into main issues• Expect an immediate response• Argue or create conflict• Talk only about business• Lose their support by making to many decisions for them… make them feel important• Expect them to make quick decisions• Forget to follow up the presentation…. Be open and try to make a

second appointment… be social

EXERCISEWhat Social Style would you assign to the following people?

President ObamaWarren BuffetMarc ZuckermanSteve JobsOprah WinfreyKobe BryantYour instructor

EXERCISE

What Personality Are You?

Solution/Consultative Selling

Consultative Selling – Selling Solutions

• Consultative selling /Solution Selling emphasizes customers needs and meeting those needs with solutions• Ask more questions• Provide customized and

value-added solutions• Develop intimate

business relationship focusing on long-term

Solution Selling Is A Process

• Solution selling allows the salesperson to solve their customers business problems and achieve positive results

• Solution selling requires skills that include• Situational knowledge• Product knowledge• Industry knowledge• Competitive knowledge• People skills• Communication skills

Solution Selling

• Buyer’s want a salesperson who has an understanding of their situation

• A salesperson that can add value to the buyer’s situation

• When you don’t offer these fluencies• The buyer goes to your

competitor• Searches the internet for their

answer

Consultative Selling

• Consultative selling is the process of working with your customer to reach their strategic goals

• The salesperson is a partner in the business and orchestrates the resources required to satisfy the customer (sales – marketing-technical-R&D-finance)

• The salesperson acts as a consultant providing knowledge and feedback to the customer

• The salesperson is a friend and relationship-builder focusing on long-term supply-chain partnerships

• The salesperson is always asking provocative questions

Problem-Solving / Consultative Selling

Source: Professional Selling: A Trust Based Approach

Find The “PAIN”

• Used successfully by many Fortune 500 companies and thousands of professional, “FINDING THE PAIN” of the buyers allows the salesperson to focus on “OFFERING SOLUTONS”

• What is the critical issue at hand• What problem is the buyer experiencing• Does the pain filter down through the organization

When you identify the pain and you present the buyer with solutions, you give the buyer a reason to buy your product or service!!!

Identifying The Pain

• Face-to-Face meetings• Industry trends• Trade publications• Trade shows

• Competitive position• Financial reports and annual reports• Speaking with other sales people (but remember the

laws)

Create a “PAIN SHEET”

Reason

Is it because……

Impact

Is this causing…….

Solutions & Capabilities

What if……..

Offering a SOLUTION….What is your VALUE PROPOSITION????

• Be prepared to offer a Value Proposition to the buyer

• “A Value Proposition is a clear and defined statement that offers quantifiable or qualifiable benefits from the solutions you are offering

• i.e. “This Sales Contact Management System can provide you with sales call frequency tracking, territory sales, product line sales”

• Our Inventory Control software is designed to be user-friendly

unlike many of those already on the market• This low-energy commercial dishwasher will save you up to 30% on

your utility bills because of its “TECHRON MICRO CHIP” developed especially for GE appliances

Value Propositions

• Increase Profits• Reduce Costs• Increase profits and reduce costs

• Warehouse Distribution• On-Time Deliveries• Convenience

• Extend lifetime of product• Offer extended warranties

Value Propositions To Consider

• Product Quality• Performance• Reliability• Conformance• Durability• Serviceability

Value Propositions

• Service Quality• Customer service • Loaner cars at no cost

• Technical support• Warranties and guarantees

Value Propositions

Source: Image adapted from internet: WebSofTechnology :- Offshore Software Development Company India