Chapter 2

Selling Skills and Strategies

Buyer Categories ( Theory of Diffusion-Everett M. Rogers)
Selling and Buying styles (Blake & Mouton-1970)
 Selling situations
Sales task and function
The forms of selling include maintenance vs.
developmental selling.

Maintenance selling
Involves the art of servicing the existing accounts, securing
promotional cooperation, counting inventory and taking
replenishment orders, and delivering the products.
 Selling situations

Developmental selling
Salespeople engaged in developmental selling are
called business development sales executives as they try
to contact the potential customers and build business for
the firm – the real salespeople.
 Selling skills
Problem-
Communication
solving skills
skills

Negotiation Listening
skills skills

Conflict
management and
resolution skills
1. Communication process
 How to get the buyer trust
you

 Truth of words communicated

 Predictability of action
 Competency
(ability/knowledge/resources)
 Intent or Empathy
 Likeability
 Communication process
Managing body language:
Personal Appearance
 Posture
 Gestures
 Facial Expressions
 Eye Contact
 Space Distancing
 2) Types of listening
Content Listening
Critical Listening
Empathetic Listening
 Barriers to listening
Prejudgement
Defensive listening
Self centeredness
Selective listening (out listening)
 Tips for Effective Listening
 Depersonalize Listening
 Avoid Physical distractions
 Be Alert to non verbal cues
 Ask for clarifications
3. Conflict

Any situation in which your views/desires

are not in agreement with another person’s
and there is the perception that if his/her
desires/views are met, then yours will not
be met leads to conflict.
Types of Conflict
 Functional Conflicts- supports the goals of the
group and improves its performance
 Task Conflict- disputes over the content and
goals of work
 Process Conflicts- fight over how work gets
done
 Dysfunctional Conflicts- hinders group
performance
 Relationship Conflicts
Five Conflict Management Styles

Assertive COMPETING COLLABORATING

(Concern
for self) COMPROMISING

Unassertive
AVOIDING ACCOMODATING
Uncooperative Cooperative
(Concern for others)
Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of the Different Styles

Style Works Doesn’t Work

• Quick results • Hurts others
• Emergencies • Makes them mad/
• Adverse decisions (e.g. resentful

COMPETE discipline, cost-cutting)

• Company policy (where you’re
right)
• Protecting yourself from being
taken advantage of

 The ability to argue or debate  The ability to influence

Skills  Standing your ground  Stating your position clearly
 Asserting your opinions and feelings
Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of the Different Styles

Style Works Doesn’t Work

• New ideas, insights, • Lack of time
“better solutions” • Trivial problem
• Gets commitment
COLLABORATE • Working harder through
feelings in a relationship
• Learning is important—you
know you don’t have the
solution

 Listen  Identify concerns as you are working

Skills  Be open  Analyze what is in front of you
 Identify interests
Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of the Different
Styles
Style Works Doesn’t Work
• Projects (division of work: “I’ll • Trade-off causes
do, you’ll do”) problems in
• Backup to compete or productivity, quality,
collaborate customer satisfaction,
timeliness, and cost
• When trade-offs are effectiveness
necessary
COMPROMISE • Involves strategic
decisions and goals
• Breach of
commitments
previously reached
• Violates company
policies, norms, goals

Skills  Find middle ground  Make concessions23

 “Split the difference”

Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of the Different Styles

Style Works Doesn’t Work

• Trivial issues or not real issue • Message not heard
• Need more time • Problem does not go
• Others can solve it better/it is not away
my role • Can cause stress,
AVOID • Getting another opportunity to looks “bad”
listen, ask questions, get
information
• Potential damage of confrontation
outweighs benefits

Skills  Ability to withdraw  Sense of timing

 Ability to leave some things unresolved
Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of the Different Styles

Style Works Doesn’t Work

• Deadlines
• Gets results
• You’re wrong and you know it
• Helps build relationship “bank”
ACCOMMODATE
• You’re outmatched, losing
• Not important to you—very
important to other
• Harmony is very important
• Can’t please everyone
• Taken advantage of—
projects, workload, etc.
• Potential bad direction,
ideas
• Expectations/roles are
misunderstood

Skills  Ability to forego desires

 Ability to yield and keep peace
 Ability to apologize gracefully
Conflict Resolution Process (Nader &
Todd)

1. Lumping 5. Mediation

6. Arbitration
2. Avoidance/Exit

3. Coercion 7. Adjudication

4. Conciliation 8. Negotiation
 4. Negotiation skills
Negotiation is an attempt by
two parties to achieve
mutually acceptable
solutions, which does not
result in a winner or a loser
 Negotiation Tactics
• Acting crazy
• Auctioning
• The good guy-bad guy routine
• Big pot
• Budget bogey
• Get a prestigious ally
• Escalations
• The well is dry
• Limited authority
• Whipsaw/auction
• Divide and conquer
• Reunion
• Deadline
• Sticks and stones
• Stall for time
• Take it or leave it
• Wet Noodle
• Veiled threat
• Play the Devil’s advocate
• Trial balloon
• Surprises
• What’s the rock bottom price
• Adversarial negotiating tactics
o Extreme initial positions
o Emotional tactics
o Ignore deadlines
o Discontinuation of
relationships
Theory of Principled Negotiation
(Fisher & Ury 1981)

 Separate the people from the problem

Focus on Interests, not on positions/ stance

Invent options for mutual gains

Insist on objective criteria

BATNA (Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement)

Problem solving process
Define the problem

Generate alternative solutions

Decide the solution

Implement the solution

Evaluate the solution

 5. Problem solving skills
Habit 1: be proactive
Habit 2: begin with an end in mind
Habit 3: put first things first
Habit 4: think win–win
Habit 5: seek first to understand, then to be understood
Habit 6: synergize
Habit 7: renewal