Adapting to the individual customer
Salespeople are more effective at achieving behavior change than other promotional media because they can individualize their approach to the individual. "To make adjustments of this kind, a salesperson needs to develop the following critical skills; the art of questioning, the art of listening and the ability to understand nonverbal communications....
More than two thirds of our communications are nonverbal.
Nonverbal communication is basically an unconscious language.
People are often not aware of nonverbal signals they are
transmitting or receiving. Salespeople need to learn how to read
and respond to nonverbal signals sent by customers. "
- Pederson, Wright, Weitz (1984)
"There are four types of sales visit:
Without wishing to enter into rigid doctor
stereotyping, it is useful for a representative to have a
reasonable idea which visit he is attempting at every call - it
will help his preparation. Material (especially flexible
material) can then be adapted towards the talk."
-Lidstone (1987)
The following table adapted from Lidstone (1987, table 9.1) shows how representatives can adapt their approaches according to the type of visit as classified by Lidstone above.
| Introduction | Persuasion | Support | Cultivation | |
| Behaviour change stage | Unaware | Aware, Non-user | Low user | Regular user |
| State of mind | Motivation low Resistance high |
Motivation low Resistance low |
Motivation high Resistance low |
|
| Possible objectives | To present and convince | To overcome resistance and persuade |
To reinforce and encourage | To exploit new references |
| Sales presentation content | Global message | Identification of objections - persuasion to overcome objections | Identification and support of motivating factors | Listen to doctor's perception of results with the drug |
| Sales aids required | All sales aids | Specific details | Specific details | Usually very little |
| Method of communication | Structured presentation adapted to needs | Persuasive arguments to overcome specific objections | Support of specific motivating factors | Supportive "active listening" |
"Needs or buying motives can be classified into two
types: (1) functional and (2) psychological. This classification
is based on the notion that some products are purchased because
of their intrinsic characteristics, while others are purchased
because they satisfy psychological needs."
- Pederson, Wright, Weitz (1984)
Salespeople can adapt their approach to customers according to various classifications of customers according to their motivations. The classifications used by salespeople may be based on one or more of many different psychological theories. Below we present some examples including:
"Maslow suggested that the first and most basic needs
are such physiological needs as thirst, hunger and sleep. …
The second group of needs are safety and security. The third
group are the needs for love and belongingness - for family and
friends. The fourth group are the needs for self-esteem and
status - for self-respect and the respect of others. The
highest-order needs are the needs for self-actualization. These
are the needs of people to achieve everything they are capable of
achieving. …
Maslow's theory is a useful guide for salespeople. It provides
some clue about what the consumer's"hot button"
is."
- Pederson, Wright, Weitz (1984)
Maslow's hierarchy theory predicts that peoples' main focus will move up the hierarchy as their lower order needs are satisfied. People may be motivated by needs at several levels of the hierarchy at the same time.
The following table adapted from Pederson, Wright, Weitz (1984, firgure 5-2) provides key words that salespeople may use match the customers' psychological needs according to their position in Maslow's hierarchy:
| Customers position in Maslow's hierarchy | Salespeople may claim that the customer will gain these benefits from the product | Salespeople may claim that the customer will avoid these problems by buying the product |
| Physiological needs | ease, warmth | discomfort, inconvenience, weakness |
| Safety and security | guarantee, economy, safety, assurance, certainty | loss |
| Belongingness and love | approval, popularity, compliments | criticism |
| Esteem | Success, respect, recognition, confidence | |
| Self-actualization | creativity, growth, fulfillment, achievement |
"Transactional analysis proposes that each person has
three ego states - the parent, the child, and the adult. An ego
state is a mental condition that influences a person's behaviour.
…
At a particular time one of these three ego states is dominant,
but people can shift from one ego state to another several times
during a conversation. Transactional analysis can be used to
determine the ego state of the other person involved in the
conversation and to develop a suitable strategy that corresponds
to that ego state."
- Pederson et al (1984)
Pederson et al (1984) describe a method developed by Wilson
Learning Corporation of Minnesota for classifying customers
according to their social style. Customers are rated on
"assertiveness" (the amount of effort used to influence
others) and "responsiveness" (tendency to express
rather than control emotions). Customers are then classified as
"Drivers" (high assertiveness and low responsiveness),
"Expressives" (high assertiveness and high
responsiveness), "Amiables" (low assertiveness and high
responsiveness) or "Analyticals" (low assertiveness and
low responsiveness). "The Wilson Learning approach
emphasizes that salespeople need to adapt their selling styles to
the customers they are interacting with. For example, salespeople
with a Driver orientation need to become more emotional and less
aggressive when selling to Amiable customers."
- Pederson et al (1984)
Lidstone J with Collier T. Marketing planning
for the pharmaceutical industry. Aldershot UK. Gower 1987
Pederson, Wright, Weitz. Selling: principles and methods. 8th
Ed Homewood, Illinois. Irwin 1984