Improving Sales Effectiveness With Versatility

CONCEPTS GUIDE TRACOM Sneak Peek Excerpts from Improving Sales Effectiveness With Versatility

Concepts Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Introduction...1 Why is it Important to Learn about SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility?...1 How the SOCIAL STYLE Model is Unique... 2 Sales Survey... 3 Overview of this Guide... 4 SOCIAL STYLE Fundamentals... 5 Sampling the Personality Pie... 5 The Say and Do Standard... 6 Predicting Behaviors...7 Behaving with Style... 8 Assertiveness... 8 Responsiveness... 10 The SOCIAL STYLE Model... 12 Dimensions of Behavior... 12 Showing Your Own Style... 12 Creatures of Habit...17 Unlocking the Keys to SOCIAL STYLE... 18 Tension Management... 1919 Turning the Tension Channel... 19 Tension: Motivator or Instigator?...20 Getting Run Over by Backup Behavior... 21 Avoiding the Need for Toxic Clean-Ups...222 Versatility...24 Selling in the Third Dimension...24 Support and Respect A Necessary Ingredient for Sales Effectiveness...225 Gaining Support and Respect One Step at a Time...39 Next Step...30 Frequently Asked Questions... 31

Concepts Guide Introduction Why is it Important to Learn About SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility? This guide is designed to teach you about SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility concepts and how they can help you develop skills to become a more effective salesperson. By applying the SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility concepts in this guide, you can develop better relationships with your customers and get more done, faster, with less effort. Plus, your customers will most likely increase their levels of support and respect for you. Simply stated, here s how it works. You have preferred ways to act and interact with your customers. For example, when you begin the sales process you may prefer to move fast, gather just the necessary facts, contact people, and get things going right away; or, you may prefer to take things slower as you sort out the details, consider alternatives, and contemplate the consequences of taking one course of action versus another. These behavioral preferences and patterns of behavior are a part of your SOCIAL STYLE. Your customers also have their own behavioral preferences or SOCIAL STYLE. As you know from past interactions their SOCIAL STYLE can be quite different than your own. How effective you are with your customers depends on how you take their preferences into account, and how well you control your own. Your impact and effectiveness on your customers is a result of another key concept, Versatility. Consider the variety of people you call on. Perhaps, one speaks loudly and prefers to dominate the sales conversation; another is highly focused on making the purchase and getting the deal done; another goes out of his way to be friendly and often ends up talking about matters unrelated to the sale. These and many other characteristic ways of acting and interacting with people are expressions of a person s SOCIAL STYLE. Your success in selling to a diverse range of customers depends on: your technical skills as a salesperson; specialized knowledge about your products or services; and, your ability to make your relationships mutually productive. The essence of Improving Sales Effectiveness with Versatility, is how you increase the interpersonal effectiveness and productivity between you and your customers and how you earn their support and respect. Improving Sales Effectiveness with Versatility can also help you effectively plan and prepare for customer interactions, approach customers and analyze their needs, present results, handle objections and gain their commitment. 1 You can learn to resolve, or even head off, unnecessary conflict caused by interpersonal friction that may arise during the give-and-take of the sales process. 1 Commitment refers to any significant decision you ask a customer to make, such as making a decision to purchase the product or service you sell, or entering into an agreement with you or your organization. 1

Identifying the SOCIAL STYLE of your Customers Sales Survey A TRACOM study surveyed recent SOCIAL STYLE training participants, who worked in sales, to determine how effective SOCIAL STYLE had been in their daily sales activities. The survey questions focused on tasks specific to salespeople including developing relationships with customers, gaining customer trust, and closing sales. Because the sales profession relies heavily on solid relationships, TRACOM wanted to research how SOCIAL STYLE training could contribute to better relationships and, ultimately, more sales. Summary of Findings TRACOM s study found that SOCIAL STYLE training could dramatically impact a salesperson s ability to create more positive relationships with current and potential customers. A majority of the surveyed salespeople felt that SOCIAL STYLE training helped them establish better relationships and gain trust with customers and prospects. Over half of the survey participants felt that as a direct result of SOCIAL STYLE training, they were able to close sales they otherwise might not have. The chart below illustrates the key findings. Concepts Guide EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL STYLE FOR SALESPEOPLE key findings* percentage More conscious about how their behavior impacts their customers 94% Applied SOCIAL STYLE to their sales job 93% Developed more positive relationships with customers 92% Increased ability to influence or persuade customers or prospects 87% Believe that their customers now have a greater sense of confidence and trust in them 87% Improved ability to gain ongoing sales 78% Build relationships with prospects more quickly 76% Customers now more willing to disclose relevant information 75% Convert prospects to customers more quickly 69% Closed sales they otherwise might not have 58% *TRACOM Group, Centennial, CO. The percentage reflects salespeople who either strongly agreed or agreed to the statements. Visit www.tracomcorp.com for research reports. 3

SOCIAL STYLE Fundamentals Sampling the Personality Pie As an individual, you have a unique personality made up of a collection of emotional patterns, mental processes and thought patterns, values, and behavior patterns which are all influenced by genetics and personal experience. Accurately describing and explaining your personality would not just be difficult, it would be close to impossible. SOCIAL STYLE deals with just your behaviors, that part of your personality that can be objectively observed. The word personality comes from the Latin word persona, which means mask. This term is appropriate, since personality comprises both visible and hidden qualities. In a simple analogy, personality can be compared to a pie. The inside of the pie, like much of your personality, is out of direct view and contains a mix of ingredients that give the pie a unique texture and flavor. Behavior is like the crust, the outer part of the pie that everyone can see and describe in more or less the same way. Concepts Guide It s little wonder that great minds like Albert Einstein stuck to simpler tasks like figuring out the nature of matter and energy in the universe! The SOCIAL STYLE Model, following Einstein s wise example, doesn t try to figure out your personality either. Like the crust of the Personality Pie, SOCIAL STYLE behaviors are particular patterns of action that people can observe and agree upon for describing a person s usual behavior. PERSONALITY PIE Observable Behavior Say/Do Personality Style is like the crust of the personality pie. It is the part that can be seen the observable behavior. Personality includes inner qualities attitudes, aptitudes, dreams, values and abilities. 5

[SOCIAL STYLE FUNDAMENTALS] The Say and Do Standard Observable behaviors are what you say (verbal behaviors) and do (non-verbal behaviors), with no judgments by the observer as to why. Observable behaviors are interactions between two people whose behaviors can be observed and verified by others. The interaction could be between you and your customer or between you and a prospective buyer. Notice that the Say and Do Behaviors listed below are not either-or propositions. Rather, they represent continuums, for example, from quieter to louder, or from less to more direct eye contact. OBSERVABLE SAY AND DO BEHAVIORS TRAITS OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR JUDGMENTS OBSERVABLE Honest Quiet Loud SAY AND DO BEHAVIORS Intelligent Slower-paced Faster-paced Arrogant Motivated Self-centered Sincere Critical Facially controlled Less inflected voice Less eye contact Casual posture Leans back Facially animated More inflected voice More eye contact Rigid posture Leans forward I like him. He annoys me. She interests me. He irritates me. I distrust her. I hate him. I trust him. 6

[SOCIAL STYLE FUNDAMENTALS] Responsiveness Responsiveness is a dimension of observable behavior that measures the degree to which others see you as tending to control or emote when interacting. In other words, it is the degree to which you display, or don t display, your feelings and emotions. Note that, as used here, control does not mean that the person controls the situation and emote does not mean that the person s emotions are dramatic or out of control. Instead, they are descriptions for the degree of emotion that is outwardly displayed. As with the Assertiveness Scale, you can use the various verbal and non-verbal clues shown in the Behaviors on the Responsiveness Scale to identify a pattern in a person s behaviors, based on what you observe a person actually saying or doing over time. Behaviors on the Responsiveness Scale show that when you speak in a more monotone voice, use few hand movements, or control your facial expressions, you are exhibiting CONTROL Responsive behaviors (viewed toward the top of the arrow). When you speak with more inflection, use animated hand movements, or show animated facial expressions, you are exhibiting EMOTE Responsive behaviors (viewed toward the bottom of the arrow). After numerous observations, a person can be seen on the Responsiveness Scale as either more Controlling or more Emoting, or as a mix favoring either Controlling or Emoting. Think about some of your customers behaviors. Chances are, you can readily associate particular people with behaviors on each end of the Assertiveness and Responsiveness scales. Remember, people have patterns of behavior, not set ways of behaving under all circumstances. This means that anyone can exhibit behaviors from either end of the Assertiveness and Responsiveness scales given the right circumstances; but, over time, a pattern emerges that helps to identify how a person will tend to behave. RESPONSIVENESS SCALE More Controlling Controlling WITH SOME EMOTING Emoting WITH SOME CONTROLLING More Emoting 10

DRIVING STYLE Concepts Guide Let s get it done, now. People with a Driving Style are seen by others as active, forceful, and determined. People with a Driving Style are direct; they initiate social interaction and they focus their efforts and the efforts of others on the goals and objectives that they wish to get accomplished now. They are typically described by others as cool, less personable, guarded and, at times, aloof, as they typically do not openly show their feelings or reveal the depth of their emotions. Driving Style Highlights Faster paced Make efforts to set the pace Less concerned for the value in relationships Work in the present timeframe Tend to direct the actions of others whether or not they are the leader Tend to avoid inaction People seen as having a Driving Style appear to: Know what they want Have little difficulty conveying their conclusions about anything that concerns them Focus on the immediate time frame with relatively little concern for the past or future Be swift, efficient and to the point Be impatient with delays Show less concern for the feelings of others or for personal relationships Be harsh, severe or critical due to their limited attention to relationships Be efficient and decisive Seek control through the use of power Use time in a disciplined manner 13

[VERSATILITY] Versatility Selling in the Third Dimension With a basic understanding of the two dimensions of behavior, Assertiveness and Responsiveness that form the SOCIAL STYLE positions, you should now have a much better understanding of the behavioral tendencies of your customers in any given situation, and you should be able to take actions to work with them more effectively. However, there is one more dimension to the SOCIAL STYLE Model. This dimension, Versatility, is critical to creating productive and successful interpersonal interactions. The Versatility Dimension reflects behavior that affects your interpersonal effectiveness and ability to help others achieve their needs and goals. Unlike Assertiveness and Responsiveness, which are relatively stable and consistent over time, your Versatility can increase or decrease depending on your willingness to work toward mutually productive interactions. Also, the more Versatility you earn, the more effective you are likely to be, unlike the behavioral dimensions where there is no best place to be, no good or bad Style. To increase your sales effectiveness, you must have the support and respect of your customers. Your particular Style of behavior matters less than how you actually use your behavior to gain that support and respect. Your ability to earn your customers support and respect is reflected in their perception of your Versatility, that is, your ability to relate to them in a way that makes them feel comfortable, helps them to achieve their purchase objective, and to be satisfied with you and the sales process. In fact, simply being seen as genuinely trying to help them succeed in the purchase process can increase your Versatility. A critical aspect of Versatility in the sales process is whether your customers see you as focusing on reducing your own tension or on reducing their tension. Sales people who are not overly focused on meeting their own Style Need and are versatile enough to adapt their behaviors to helping customers meet their Style Needs are seen as having higher Versatility. The greater your willingness to accommodate others and adapt to situations, the greater likelihood of achieving higher Versatility. TRACOM s research shows that higher Versatility is related to interpersonal effectiveness and higher performance. VERSATILITY DIMENSION Behavior seen as focusing on... MY TENSION LOW MEDIUM HIGH OTHERS TENSION Versatility 24

SOCIAL STYLE Excerpts from Self-Perception Questionnaire

SOCIAL STYLE Self-Perception Questionnaire introduction How do you see yourself? Shortly, you will answer a series of questions about how you see yourself interacting every day with those around you your co-workers, your supervisor, your employees, your teachers, your fellow students, your friends and your family. The questionnaire you are about to complete, and the information resulting from it, will give you a snapshot about the importance and value you place on certain behaviors and how you tend to get things done with others. Please keep in mind this important point as you complete the questionnaire: there are no right or wrong answers. Complete each question as you see yourself interacting with those around you. instructions The questionnaire contains pairs of statements. Please select the statement you believe better describes you. In some cases, you may find that both statements apply because it depends on the situation. While this is often true, think of how you deal with, or tend to deal with, most people most of the time. If you believe statement A better describes you, place an X in the box immediately following statement A. If you believe statement B better describes you, place an X in the box immediately following statement B. Remember, select only one of the two statements for each of the pairs of statements. Also, please answer all the questions. It should not take you more than 10 to 15 minutes to make all of your selections. You may use either pen or pencil; however, please press firmly so that your response imprints on the next page. Example: 1. A. I tend to tell people what is on my mind. B. I tend to keep things to myself. X SOCIAL STYLE, The Social Intelligence Company, The Creator of SOCIAL STYLE and TRACOM are registered trademarks of the TRACOM Corporation. SOCIAL STYLE Model is a trademark of the TRACOM Corporation. No part of this questionnaire may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior written permission from The TRACOM Corporation. Copyright 2007, 2014 The TRACOM Corporation. (303) 470-4900 (800) 221-2321 (U.S. only) www.tracomcorp.com Version 3.1

SOCIAL STYLE Self-Perception Questionnaire 1. A. I tend to tell people what is on my mind. B. I tend to keep things to myself. 2. A. I see myself as cool and guarded with others. B. I see myself as warm and friendly with others. 3. A. I tend to show my emotions to others. B. I tend to keep my emotions inside. 4. A. I see myself as fast-paced. B. I see myself as slow-paced. 5. A. I see myself as a risk taker in most situations. B. I view myself as one who avoids or minimizes risk in most situations. 6. A. I see myself as playful and fun-loving. B. I see myself as serious and thoughtful. 7. A. I tend to wait for others to initiate interactions with me. B. I tend to initiate interactions. 8. A. I tend to talk in terms of opinions. B. I tend to talk in terms of facts. 9. A. I tend to like to work with others. B. I tend to like to work alone. 10. A. I tend to take charge of a situation. B. I tend to remain in the background. 11. A. I see myself as outgoing and direct. B. I see myself as quiet and moderate. 12. A. I tend to focus on the outcome or results. B. I tend to focus on the process or the method. 13. A. I tend to be more interested in how people feel. B. I tend to be more interested in what people think. 14. A. I tend to be casual and informal in my dealings with others. B. I tend to be businesslike and formal in my dealings with people. 15. A. I tend to avoid personal involvement with people. B. I tend to deal with people in a more personal way. 16. A. I tend to confront conflict head-on. B. I tend to avoid conflict and confrontation. 17. A. I tend to get impatient with others. B. I see myself as patient with others. continued... The TRACOM Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

VERSATILITY Excerpts from Self-Perception Questionnaire

Versatility Self-Perception Questionnaire introduction How do you see yourself? Shortly, you will answer a series of questions about how you see yourself interacting every day with those around you your co-workers, your supervisor, your employees, your teachers, your fellow students, your friends and your family. The questionnaire you are about to complete, and the information resulting from it, will give you a snapshot about the importance and value you place on certain behaviors and how you tend to get things done with others. Please keep in mind this important point as you complete the questionnaire: there are no right or wrong answers. Complete each question as you see yourself interacting with those around you. instructions The questionnaire contains pairs of statements. Please select the statement you believe better describes you. In some cases, you may find that both statements apply because it depends on the situation. While this is often true, think of how you deal with, or tend to deal with, most people most of the time. If you believe statement A better describes you, place an X in the box immediately following statement A. If you believe statement B better describes you, place an X in the box immediately following statement B. Remember, select only one of the two statements for each of the pairs of statements. Also, please answer all the questions. It should not take you more than 10 to 15 minutes to make all of your selections. You may use either pen or pencil; however, please press firmly so that your response imprints on the next page. Example: 1. A. I tend to consistently get things done on time. B. I tend to be somewhat variable in getting things done on time. X SOCIAL STYLE, The Social Intelligence Company, The Creator of SOCIAL STYLE and TRACOM are registered trademarks of the TRACOM Corporation. SOCIAL STYLE Model is a trademark of the TRACOM Corporation. No part of this questionnaire may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior written permission from The TRACOM Corporation. Copyright 2007, 2014 The TRACOM Corporation. (303) 470-4900 (800) 221-2321 (U.S. only) www.tracomcorp.com Version 3.1

Versatility Self-Perception Questionnaire 1. A. I tend to consistently get things done on time. B. I tend to be somewhat variable in getting things done on time. 2. A. When things get chaotic, I tend to deal with issues as they arise. B. When things get chaotic, I tend to develop action plans. 3. A. I tend to stay calm during difficult situations. B. I tend to become frustrated during difficult situations. 4. A. I tend to stick to the tried and true. B. I tend to try new ways of doing things. 5. A. I prefer the type of work where I decide what should be done. B. I prefer the type of work where direction is given to me. 6. A. I tend to depend on other people s ideas when problem solving. B. I tend to offer my own ideas when problem solving. 7. A. I see myself as having a positive attitude much of the time. B. I see myself as being somewhat unenthusiastic much of the time. 8. A. I tend to approach new situations with a somewhat guarded outlook. B. I tend to approach new situations with an optimistic outlook. 9. A. I tend to be sure of myself and my abilities. B. I tend to have doubts about myself or my abilities. 10. A. I tend to jump into new projects quickly. B. I tend to delay somewhat before starting new projects. 11. A. When communicating with others, I usually understand what they are saying without asking questions. B. When communicating with others, I usually ask questions in order to understand what they are saying. 12. A. I tend to choose communication methods (phone; e-mail; personal visit) that are most convenient regardless of the people or circumstances involved. B. I tend to choose communication methods (phone; e-mail; personal visit) depending on the people or circumstances involved. 13. A. I tend to see things from my own point of view. B. I usually try to see things from other people s points of view. 14. A. I usually try to understand the needs or concerns of others. B. I tend to focus on my own personal needs or concerns. 15. A. I see myself as generally working well with others. B. I see myself as being somewhat difficult to work with at times. continued... The TRACOM Corporation. All Rights Reserved.