Successful Professional Salespeople . . .

Are psychologists first, being students of people, sensitive to feelings and emotions, not anxious to rush into a presentation until they know the kind of person they are dealing with. Understand people:

Have one thing in common: theyre different, so what appeals to one person may not work with another Do business with people they like, all other things equal Do business with people they like, all other things NOT equal (Lee Iacocca) Must buy you before they will buy your product

Are excellent communicators

Psychological and Sociological Theories of Human Attitudes and Behavior

Transactional Social

Analysis

Styles

What Does That Mean?

This morning, John said to Mary, Why dont I take you to dinner tonight? Explain what John meant likely depended on how he asked the question.

Honey, Have You Seen My Car Keys?

Harry and Wilma are husband and wife. One morning, Harry is running late for work and cant find his car keys. When he asks for Wilmas assistance in finding them, they eventually get into an argument. Whos fault was it?

Dont Grump At Me

One summer evening recently, a lady walks into a restaurant of a well-known national chain. She places an order after waiting in line for another lady friend and four kids who are with her. After receiving her food, she discovers she did not get everything she ordered. She returns to the counter and complains, First, I have to wait and wait to place my order. Then, you mess it up on top of that. Robbie, who had taken her order makes a mistake in responding to the complaint. What did Robbie do? What should Robbie have done?

Theres A Good Farmer

Lukes father would often take the family for a drive around the countryside after supper on Sunday. His father liked to look at other farms. Lukes father would sometimes say, Hes a good farmer when driving by a farm. What was the basis for his fathers conclusion?

Well It Worked the Last Time

Charlene had a very successful sales call when she called on Herman. She had tons of information and Herman was seemingly interested in every detail, every number, every fact. When she gave the same presentation on her next stop with Paul it backfired. What went wrong and why?

Transactional Analysis

A model for explaining why and how:

People

think like they do People act like they do People interact/communicate with others

Based on published psychological work such as:

Games

People Play (Dr. Eric Berne) Im OK - - Youre OK (Dr. Tom Harris) Born to Win (Dr. Dorothy Jongeward)

Our Brain (according to Berne)

Determines what we think and how we act Acts like a tape recorder while recording 1) Events 2) Associated feelings Has 3 distinct parts or ego states 1) Parent 2) Adult 3) Child

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 Prejudicial views (not based on logic or facts) on things such as: religion dress salespeople traditions work products money raising children companies 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. (not emotion)

Child Ego State

Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral patterns based on child-like emotions, impulses, feelings we have experienced Child-like examples

Impulsive Self-centered Angry Fearful Happy Pleasure seeking Rebellious Happy Curious Eager to please

Ego Portraits

People have favorite, preferred ego state, depicted by larger circle in a diagram Parent Adult Child
P
P P A

A
A C

Human Interaction Analysis

A transaction = any interaction or communication between 2 people People send and receive messages out of and into their different ego states How people say something (what others hear?) just as important as what is said Types of communication, interactions
1)
2) 3)

Complementary Crossed Ulterior

Intonations: Its the Way You Say It!

Placement of the emphasis Why dont I take you to dinner tonight? Why dont I take you to dinner tonight? Why dont I take you to dinner tonight? What it means I was going to take someone else. Instead of the guy you were going with. Im trying to find a reason why I shouldnt take you. Do you have a problem with me? Instead of going on your own. Instead of lunch tomorrow. Not tomorrow night.

Why dont I take you to dinner tonight? Why dont I take you to dinner tonight? Why dont I take you to dinner tonight? Why dont I take you to dinner tonight?

Complementary Transactions

Interactions, responses, actions regarded as appropriate and expected from another person. Parallel communication arrows, communication continues. Example 1: #1 What time do you have? #2 Ive got 11:15. P P
A C A C

Complementary Transactions contd

Example 2:

P
A

P
A

#1 #2

Youre late again! Im sorry. It wont happen again.

Crossed Transactions

Interactions, responses, actions NOT regarded as appropriate or expected from another person. Crossed communication arrows, communication breakdown. #1 #2
P

Example 1

What time do you have? Theres a clock on the wall, why dont you figure it out yourself?
P

A
C

A
C

Crossed Transactions contd

Example 2
#1 #2 Youre late again! Yeah, I know, I had a flat tire.

P
A

P
A

Ulterior Transactions

Interactions, responses, actions which are different from those explicitly stated
Example #1 How about coming up to my room and listening to some music?
P P

A C

A C

Some Selling Implications of TA

Develop an adaptive selling strategy for parent, adult, child customers Best communication exchange for selling?
Remember

to respond in complementary manner Most effective selling involves adult to adult

Strokes, or positive interactions, important

Verbal (e.g. hello, compliment) Touch (handshake, pat on back)

A gift Listening

Being a Response Able Salesperson

Recognize you cannot control anothers behavior, but you can affect their behavior by the way you respond to them. Remember you control your own behavior and thoughts. 1) Keep things in perspective Dont sweat small stuff Give it test of time Ask if its happened before Distinguish what can be changed from what cant Focus on haves vs. have nots 2) Have realistic expectations Life is not fair or perfect Bad (good) things happen, usually dont last forever Things dont always go according to plan People dont always act as youd like (remember ego state explanations, people have bad days, etc.)

Dealing with Difficult Customers

Keep adult ego state in control of yourself. Dont get defensive, argumentative, emotional. Dont take it personally. Move cautiously, stay cool, remember complementary transactions and strokes. Do not need to take continued abuse. If handled well (e.g. didnt embarrass customer, allowed them to take something out on you), can turn out to be positive later.

Sales Quotes: Transactional Analysis

When a relationship is right, details are negotiable;

When tension is high, details become obstacles.

Sales Quotes: Transactional Analysis

Rule #1: The customer is never wrong. Rule #2: If the customer is wrong, read rule #1.