Professional Selling

Humber – The Business School

Bashir Keshavjee
Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A key to Adaptive Selling
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Communication Style
 Important aspect of our “Personality”

 Patterns of behavior that others observe (voice,

expression, posture)
 Also known as Behavior Style and Social Style

Adaptive Selling: Altering sales behaviors in order to

improve communication with the customer.
Communication-Style Bias: Develops when we have
contact with another person whose communication
style is different from our own.
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Communication Style Principles

1. Individual differences exist and are important
2. A communication style is a way of thinking and
behaving (how we like to do something)
3. Individual style differences tend to be stable
4. There are a finite number of communication styles
5. To create the most productive relationships, it is
necessary to get in sync with the communication style
of the people you work with
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Style Flexing: The deliberate adjustment of one’s

communication style to accommodate the needs of
the other person.
Communication-Style Model
Based on two important dimensions of human
behavior: dominance and sociability
Dominance – Tendency to control or prevail over
others
Sociability – The amount of control we exert over
our emotional expressiveness
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Emotive Style
1. Appears quite active (expresses feelings with vigorous
hand movements and rapid speech patterns)
2. Takes the social initiative in most cases

3. Likes to encourage informality

4. Expresses emotional opinions

Excess Zone Characteristics

 Expresses highly emotional opinions
 Stops listening to the other person
 Tries too hard to promote own point of view
 Becomes outspoken and offensive
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Selling to Emotives
 Set a pace that holds their attention

 Be enthusiastic and avoid being too formal or stiff

 Take time to establish the social relationship

 Don’t place too much emphasis on facts and details

 Support their opinions, ideas and dreams

 Maintain good eye contact

 Be a good listener
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling
Directive Style
1. Appears to be quite busy
2. May give the impression of not listening
3. Displays a serious attitude
4. Likes to maintain control
Excess Zone Characteristics
 Gets impatient with the other person
 Becomes dictatorial and bossy
 Does not admit being wrong
 Becomes extremely competitive
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Selling to Directives
 Keep the relationship businesslike

 Personal relationships are not a high priority

 Be efficient, time disciplined and well organized

 Provide appropriate facts, figures and success

probabilities
 Identify their primary goal (objective) and

determine ways to support this objective

 Ask specific questions and note responses

 Identify specific points to respond to

Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Reflective Style
1. Controls emotional expression
2. Displays a preference for orderliness
3. Tends to express measured opinions
4. Seems difficult to get to know
Excess Zone Characteristics
 Becomes stiff and formal
 Unwilling to make a decision
 Avoids displaying any emotion
 Overly interested in detail
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Selling to Reflectives
 Responds well to a thoughtful, well organized

approach
 Be on time and well prepared

 Don’t spend much time on building social

relationships
 Appreciates a no-nonsense, businesslike approach

 Use specific questions and show clear direction

 Present your proposal in a slow, deliberate way

 Provide lots of supporting documentation

 Don’t pressure them for a quick decision

Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Supportive Style
1. Gives the appearance of being quiet and reserved
2. Listens attentively to other people
3. Tends to avoid the use of power
4. Makes decisions in a thoughtful and deliberate
manner
Excess Zone Characteristics
 Agrees with everyone
 Unable to take a strong stand
 Overly anxious to win other’s approval
 Tries to comfort everyone
Selling Today – Chapter 5
Communication Styles: A Key to Adaptive Selling

Selling to Supportives
 Take time to build a social relationship

 Learn about the things that are important to them

(family, hobbies and major interests)

 Listen to their personal opinions and feelings

 Provide personal assurance and support

 Curb your desire to disagree too assertively (they

dislike interpersonal conflict)

 Give them time to comprehend your proposal and

be patient