Communication and Transactional

Analysis in Sales Job

Renuka Timilsena
 Communication in Sales Job
• It is a process of transmitting verbal and non
verbal information and understanding
between sales person and buyer
• Communication is a process of transmitting
any message from sender to receiver in such a
way that the receiver decodes the message as
it was intended by the seller
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• Communication in sales can be done in
number of ways:
– Verbally: Face to face, telephone
– Non-verbally: Facial expressions, gestures,
paralanguage
– Action, Demonstration, trial use
– Through pictures, sales aids, catalogs, etc
 Process of Communication
Sender/Sou
rce Encoding

Message/
Noise
Media

Decoding Receiver
 Two Way Communications
• It is essential to make the sale
• It is an opportunity to present a product
benefits, instantly received buyer’s reactions
and answer questions
• The two major activities under this are:
– Questioning
– Listening
 Questioning
• Questions are the most common openers
because they give customers an opportunity
to get involved
• It helps sales person to determine the
prospects needs and force the prospect
participate in interview
• To ask sales questions, Neil Rackham has
developed SPIN selling
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• S – situation: What is the buyer’s situation?
• P – problem: What is your customers’ problem?
• I - implications: What is the implication of
customers’ problem being solved (or not
solved)?
• N-need payoff: What does the buyer really
need? What benefit would the solution bring to
buyer?
 Benefits of Questioning
• To learn about the prospects’ needs
• To know about prospects’ situations
• To maintain control
• To build the relationship
• To establish trust
 Types of Questions
• Open-ended or Non-directive questions:
– It includes who, what, where, when, how & why
questions
– Prospects answer in their own words
• Reflective questions:
– Questions used in response to prospects comment
– Sales person respond to prospects neutrally just to
dig deeper
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• Rephrasing questions:
– If sales person is not clear on the comment of
buyer they rephrase the question
• Directive questions:
– Closed end questions
– Simple yes/no will answer most directive questions
– As the sales presentation proceeds, the sales
person ask a series of directive questions to point
the prospect towards area of agreement
 Rules for Using Questions
• To use questions which answers can be
anticipated
• To pause or wait after submitting a question to
allow the prospect time to respond
• To listen
 Listening
• It is not just hearing words
• The effective listener must interpret
differences in the speaker’s voice and body
movements
• Active listening must be there
 Advantages of Listening
• Obtain feedback
• Understand the need of customer
• Adjust the message according to the needs
• Way of telling customers that sales person
respects their opinion
 Rules of Good Listening
• Don’t react emotionally to the prospect’s saying
• Try to anticipate the direction the prospect is
taking
• Listen between the lines (non verbal cues)
• Concentrate on ideas prospect is trying to get
across
• Periodically summarize the points being made (to
themselves)
• Give prospect time to talk. Don’t’ interrupt
 Verbal & Non-verbal Communication
• Verbal communication:
– Implies conveying message through spoken words
– Words must be chosen precisely
– No jargons, technical language, etc should be used
• Non-verbal communication:
– Using body signals, gestures, expressions, etc to
communicate
– Such non-verbal language sends mainly three types of
message: acceptance signal, caution, and disagreement
 Transactional Analysis
• It is the study of social transaction between
people
• It is a social psychology that helps in improving
communication
• It provides an individual with a practical and
useful method for analyzing and understanding
human behavior
• Every normal individual function from three ego
states: child, parent and adult
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• An ego is a mental condition that influences a
person’s behavior
• It develops as a person grows up
• It includes:
– Child ego
– Parent ego
– Adult ego
 Parent Ego State
• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral patterns
based on messages or lessons learned from parents
and other ‘parental’ or authoritarian sources
• Shoulds and should nots; oughts and ought nots;
always and never
• It can be on:
– Nurturing views (sympathetic, caring views)
– Critical views (fault finding, judgmental,
condescending views)
 Adult Ego State

• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral

patterns based on objective analysis of
information (data, facts)
• Make decisions based on logic, computations,
probabilities, etc.
• Exchange information without being emotional
 Child Ego State
• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral patterns
based on child-like emotions, impulses, feelings we
have experienced
• Child-like examples
Impulsive Happy Curious
Self-centered Pleasure seeking Eager to please
Angry Rebellious
Fearful
 Ego States…cont’
• Ego state of customer has significant effect on
sales person ability to communicate
• When crossed transactions occur ( between
parent: child or parent: adult ) communication
tends to be blocked.
• Crossed transaction provides unsatisfactory
outcomes
• In general, the transaction that is likely to be
most effective is that of Adult: Adult ego state
 Hooking the Adult
• To communicate effectively with the customer,
both sales person and customer must be in adult
ego state
• Only in this state, they develop understanding
that will result in effective sales performance
• Sales person should try to bring customer to
adult ego state from parent and child ego state
for effective sales performance
• This is called hooking the adult
Role of Communication in Sales Job
• Provides information
• Persuade buyers
• Differentiate the product
• Builds brand image
• Stimulates the demand
• Contribution to the economic growth
Factors Affecting Effective Communication

• Differences in perception
• No recognition for need of product
• Selling pressure
• Information overload
• Disorganized sales presentation
• Distraction
• Poor listening
• Lack of feedback
THE END !