The 5 styles of selling! Which one are you and which is best?

The Sales Executive Council (SEC) found that salespeople behave in one of five ways, depending on the situation. Here’s what they found (As you read this, ask yourself two questions - “Which am I?” and “Which is best?”) The relationship builder Gets along with everyone Builds strong advocates in organisations Is generous in giving time to others The reactive problem solver Reliably responds to internal and external stakeholders Ensures that all problems are solved Detail-orientated The lone wolf A bit of a maverick – follows their own instincts Self-assured Can be difficult to control The hard worker Always willing to go the extra mile Doesn’t give up easily Self-motivated Interested in feedback and development The challenger Has a different view on the world Understands the customer’s business Loves to debate, often creating “positive tension” with the customer to help arrive at the best outcome The two questions again: Which are you? Which is best? The SEC found that most salespeople were relationship builders. The idea being that, the better someone likes you, the more likely they are to buy from you.  But they found that the most successful salespeople were challengers. In other words, those who provoke customers’ thinking. So, whereas the relationship builder often seeks to agree with the customer to enhance the relationship; the challenger often seeks to disagree, to provoke discussion to ensure they arrive at the best solution (The rationale: customers doesn’t always know what’s best for them. As Henry Ford famously said “If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse”) The simplest way to ensure you challenge others is to teach them something. To make them think “Well I’d never thought of it like that”. When this happens, they see you as value-adding. And they want more of it. They seek you out again. Great for them, and for you. A final question for you: Have you found this post useful?  Well, I guess you will have… … if you thought “well I’d never thought of it like that”.  Action Point Who’s the most important person to impress today? And what can you teach them, so they think “well I’d never thought of it like that?”  Challenge their thinking (in an engaging way - don’t annoy them!). See if the two of you can come up with a better solution. You’ll both be delighted you did.  Know people who'd enjoy reading this post? Please forward it on, and introduce them to our Blog :-)

Written by NativeEnglish

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