Putting Adaptive Selling to Work
Putting Adaptive Selling to Work
Adaptive selling occurs when a salesperson adapts, changes, and customizes their selling style based on the situation and the customer's behavior. Adaptive selling allows you to truly listen, understand the customer's needs, and adapt your conversation and presentation accordingly.
On the other hand, if you were giving a canned presentation, you would not be able to learn what the customer thinks is important. For example, if you were selling landscaping to a customer, you would not know if the customer wanted the landscaping to provide privacy or create a view. The only way you would find out is by listening, asking questions, and adapting your recommendations and presentation accordingly. Adaptive selling is much easier when you establish a relationship with the customer.
Adaptive selling takes place in many situations in business and life. It is the selling skill that allows you to adapt your communications to a person or situation. Chances are you already use adaptive selling in your everyday life, but you may not realize it. Do you approach your parents differently than your friends? Do you speak to a professor differently than you do to your roommate? These are examples of adaptive selling.
It is also likely that you interact with each of your friends differently. Do you have a friend that needs tons of information to make a decision, while another friend makes a decision in an instant? Do you know people who want to talk about their decisions before and after they make them and those who just decide and don't say a word? Understanding diversity, or the different ways people behave, is the cornerstone of adaptive selling.
The Social Style Matrix
What makes people so different in their style, perceptions, and approaches to things is defined in the social style matrix. It is an established method that helps you understand how people behave so you can adapt your selling style accordingly. The social style matrix is based on patterns of communication behavior identified by David Merril and Roger Reid. It plots social behavior based on two dimensions: assertiveness and responsiveness.
In the matrix below, the x-axis is assertiveness, which indicates the degree to which a person wants to dominate or control the thoughts of others. The y-axis represents responsiveness, the degree to which a person outwardly displays emotions or feelings in a relationship. In Figure 3.4 "Social Style Matrix," you can see the four quadrants; each quadrant represents one of four social styles: analytical, driver, amiable, and expressive. Each of these styles describes a different type of behavior.
Figure 3.4 Social Style MatrixTodd Duncan, "Your Sales Style," Incentive, December 1, 1999, 64–66.
Each of the social styles has specific characteristics that are important to keep in mind as you prepare and present your sales presentation. Adapting to someone's social style demonstrates the law of psychological reciprocity, which says that when you adapt, that person will move toward your style. In short, you inspire trust by acting according to the old adage of the golden rule. So, whether you are asking to borrow your mother's car or asking someone on a date, understanding the social style matrix is important to get the result you want.
Analyticals: They Want to Know How
Do you know someone who only wants the facts to make a decision? Perhaps it is your father or mother or a professor. Analyticals are all about facts. They are defined by low responsiveness and low assertiveness. In other words, they like to hear about the pros and cons and all the details before they decide. They are likely to have a financial or technical background, and they pride themselves on being an expert in their field.
They want to hear about the tangible results, timelines, and details before deciding. They are the ones who will read the directions before they put together a new grill or set up a wireless home network. They are so focused on facts that they prefer disregarding personal opinions. They like to understand all the facts before they decide so they know exactly how the product, service, or contract arrangement will work.
You might have some visual cues that will help you identify an analytical. They probably dress conservatively and have their achievement awards proudly displayed on their office wall. They are organized and focused on work activities.
If you sell to an analytical customer, they will ask you precise questions about all the details, and they will respond positively if you make them feel they are right. In other words, do not challenge their facts and point of view. Instead, provide history, data, financial details, and other facts in an organized, structured format. They will ask many questions so they clearly understand the product or service. Since it is important to make the right decision, they will take the time to gather all the facts. Because they put so much effort into making the right decision, they tend to be loyal to the people from whom they buy, believing they doe not need to reevaluate the same facts.
Adapt your style to an analytical one by focusing on the "how." Slow down your presentation and let them take it all in; do not make them feel rushed. Use facts, historical data, and details to be sure they have all the information they need to decide. Use guarantees or warranties to reduce any perceived risk. Give them the time they need to analyze, evaluate, and decide.
Drivers: They Want to Know What
You hve probably watched Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, play football on television or the Internet. One of the traits that makes him a champion is that he is focused exclusively on winning each game. When he is on the field, everything else is in second place in his mind. Peyton Manning is a driver.
Drivers have some characteristics that are the same as analytics in that they like to have all the facts to make their decision. However, drivers are different from analytics because they make decisions quickly. On the social style matrix, they are in the low responsiveness, high assertiveness quadrant. These people are "control freaks"; they are decisive and controlling. They work with people because they have to; they see other people only as a means to their end of achievement.
They are intelligent, focused, independent, and competitive. They have little regard for the opinions of others; a driver is rarely described as a "people person." They are high achievers who are in a hurry to meet their goals. They do not want facts just for the sake of having them; they want relevant information that will help them decide quickly.
Like the analyticals, drivers dress conservatively and display their achievement awards on the wall of their office. A calendar is usually prominent to keep the focus on how long it will take to achieve something. Because they are not focused on the feelings or attitudes of other people, drivers usually do business across the desk rather than on the same side of the desk.
The best way to adapt to a driver is to be professional and to the point. Do not spend too much time on small talk; get to the point quickly. Provide options so they can feel as if they are in control. Include a timeline so they can see how quickly they can get results.
Amiables: They Want to Know Why
Actress Reese Witherspoon was recently named the Honorary Chairperson of the Avon Foundation for Women because of her ability to unite women around the cause of breast cancer. She rallies people and brings them together by focusing on the greater good, but she does not assert herself. She is an amiable.
An amiable is most likely to be described as a people person. Amiables are team players who focus on innovation and long-term problem solving. They value relationships and like to engage with people whom they feel they can trust. They are less controlling than drivers and more people oriented than analyticals because they are in the low assertiveness, high responsiveness quadrant of the matrix.
Amiables provide some visual clues because their offices are typically open and friendly. They often display pictures of family, and they prefer to work in an open environment rather than sitting across the desk from you. They tend to have a personal style in their dress, casual or less conservative than analytics or drivers.
When you are presenting to an amiable, establish a personal relationship. They will be more likely to discuss issues with you. When you demonstrate your personal commitment, they will be open to doing business with you.
Expressives: They Want to Know Who
An expressive is intuitive, charismatic, persuasive, nurturing, and engaging. Oprah Winfrey is expressive; she has an excellent rapport with people, even people she has never met. Relationships are essential to her, but only to help her achieve her goal of inspiring her viewers and a better way to live their lives.
Expressives are creative and can see the big picture clearly; they have a vision and use their style to communicate and inspire people. They do not get caught up in the day-to-day details. Expressives build relationships to gain power, so people like employees, viewers, or voters are critical of them. Status and recognition are also important to them.
Since expressives are not big on details, you might find their offices to be a bit disorganized, even cluttered and messy. Their offices are set up in an open format, as they would prefer to sit next to you rather than across the desk from you. They avoid conservative dress and are more casual with their personal style. They want to engage with you and talk about the next big idea.
When selling to an expressive, take extra time to discuss everything. Give them recognition and approval. Appeal to their emotions by asking them how they feel about the product or service; focus on the big picture of what is possible from buying your product or service. You will not get very far if you try to dazzle them with facts and figures.
| Social Style You are Selling to | How to Adapt |
|---|---|
| Analyticals |
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| Drivers |
|
| Amiables |
|
| Expressives |
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Table 3.1 Selling Style Summary
What Is Your Selling Style?
Before you think about the social styles of other people, you might find it helpful to think about your own social style. Are you very emotional when you express your opinions, or are you more reserved and formal? Are you the type of person who agrees with everyone, or are you extremely interested in the details? You might want to take a few minutes to take the Keirsey Temperament Sorter to understand your social style. But do not stop here; visit your campus career center as it most likely offers several assessment tools that can help you identify your social style.Key Takeaways
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Adaptive selling occurs when you customize your style based on the customer's behavior.
- The social style matrix is based on patterns of communication that characterize communication behavior based on two dimensions: assertiveness and responsiveness.
- Analyticals focus on facts, details, and analysis to decide but are reserved in their interactions with people. They want to know the how.
- Drivers are similar to analyticals in that they like facts, but only the ones that will quickly help them achieve their goals. They are in a hurry and do not care about personal relationships except as a means to their goal. They want to know the what.
- Amiables focus on personal relationships in their communication style. They like to agree with everyone and focus on team building. They want to know the why.
- Expressives enjoy building relationships, but do not like focusing on day-to-day details; they like to paint a vision and inspire everyone to follow it. They like to focus on the who.
- Most people use a combination of styles, depending on the situation.
This text was adapted by Saylor Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensor.