FACILITATOR GUIDE TRACOM Sneak Peek Excerpts from Facilitating a Workshop Using the Improving Sales Effectiveness With Versatility Concepts
Facilitator TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Introduction... 1 Session Overview...... 1 History...2 Roots of the SOCIAL STYLE Model TM... 2 The Model Comes Together...2 Session Materials...3 Session Materials...3 Two-Hour Session and Four-Hour Session...3 The Self-Perception Questionnaires...4 The Improving Sales Effectiveness with Versatility Concepts...44 Resource CD...5 Additional Materials Available for Supplemental Exercises...6 Preparation for the Self-Perception Session...7 Additional Facilitator Preparation Materials...7 Suggested Session Timing...8 Timing for the Two-Hour Session...8 Timing for the Four-Hour Session...9 Improving Sales Effectiveness with Versatility Two-Hour Session...10 Section I: Introduction, Overview, and Self-Perception Questionnaires... 11 Section II: SOCIAL STYLE Fundamentals... 17 Section III: SOCIAL STYLE Model... 25 Section IV: Tension Management... 35 Section V: Versatility... 43 Optional Exercises Four-Hour Version...55 Style Forum...57 Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Style...58 Taking My Growth Action...59 Identify the Facilitator's Style...60 Brainstorming Effective Customer Interactions...61 The Open: Estimating Your Customer's Style... 62 Giving an Elevator Speech with Style...64 Strategies for Doing Something for My Customers...66 Knowing What a Customer Accepts/Rejects...67 Developing Actions Toward My Customer Using the Style Dial...68 The Body: Communicating With My Customer with Style... 69 Overcoming Resistance with Style... 71 Getting to a Decision with Style...74
Facilitator Introduction SESSION OVERVIEW The SOCIAL STYLE Model TM is easy to understand and apply. It provides an effective framework and specific techniques for helping people to improve their interpersonal selling skills. This guide provides you, the session leader, with the necessary information for conducting either a basic or expanded session using TRACOM s Improving Sales Effectiveness with Versatility (ISEV) Concepts and accompanying Questionnaires. The session focuses on the essentials of Style and incorporates fifty years of collective instructional and facilitative experience with the SOCIAL STYLE Model. To orient you to the Style legacy, this guide begins with a brief history of the SOCIAL STYLE Model. Next, it provides a game plan for successfully conducting both a basic and an expanded version of the session. The guide suggests instructional options depending on the amount of time set aside for training. Finally, the guide includes Supporting Research about the SOCIAL STYLE Model to enrich your knowledge of Style and Versatility and to prepare you for many of the questions typically asked by participants. This guide lays out instructions and activities in a way to give you maximum flexibility in delivering the program elements. It is up to you to decide what level of understanding and skill development are necessary for your participants and to adjust the presentation accordingly. 1
Facilitator Session Materials SESSION MATERIALS The following pages explain how to use the materials that are available for delivering this session. By carefully reviewing these materials, you will be able to select the session elements most appropriate for your participants and the time you have available for training. Specifically, this guide covers the following items: Self-Perception Questionnaires ISEV Concepts Resource CD (PowerPoint presentation, participant handouts, marketing materials) Optional exercises Additional resource materials available for purchase Additional facilitator preparation materials TWO-HOUR VERSION AND FOUR-HOUR VERSION This facilitator guide was designed to provide you quite a bit of flexibility in delivering this program. You will find that we have provided a suggested session outline and timing for both a two-hour basic session and a four-hour expanded session. Two-Hour Session The two-hour session is designed to provide an introduction to SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility. The session teaches your participants about the fundamental concepts of behavior versus personality, provides insight into the four SOCIAL STYLES, and demonstrates the impact that their SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility have on others, such as their customers. Four-Hour Session The four-hour session expands the participants' understanding of the concepts covered in the two-hour version through the use of a variety of hands-on experiential exercises that you may choose from. There is also significant additional content added to the program regarding the application of SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility concepts in selling situations. 3
TIMING FOR THE FOUR-HOUR SESSION Facilitator SEGMENT TIME ACTIVITY ACCUMULATIVE TIME Section I: Introduction, Overview, and Self-Perception Questionnaires 0:10 Introduction, Objectives, and Overview 0:10 0:10 The SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility Self-Perception Questionnaires 0:20 Section II: SOCIAL STYLE Fundamentals 0:05 Behavior vs. Personality 0:25 0:05 Observable Say and Do Behaviors 0:30 0:20 Dimensions of Behavior, Assertiveness, Responsiveness 0:50 Section III: SOCIAL STYLE Model 0:05 The Four SOCIAL STYLE Positions 0:55 0:05 Your SOCIAL STYLE Position 1:00 0:10 Style Highlights 1:10 0:10 Recommended Exercise: Identify the Facilitator s Style 1:20 0:05 Key Characteristics of Style 1:25 0:20 Recommended Exercise: Taking My Growth Action 1:45 0:05 SOCIAL STYLE Summary 1:50 Section IV: Tension Management 0:15 Tension Management 2:05 0:30 Recommended Exercises: Strengths & Weaknesses of Each Style 2:35 (substitution - you may opt one over the other -Style Forum) 0:10 Break 2:45 0:30 Recommended Exercise: Developing Actions Toward My Customer Using the Style Dial (substitution - you may opt one over the other - Brainstorming Effective Customer Interactions) 3:15 Section V: Versatility 0:05 Selling in the Third Dimension 3:20 0:05 The Four Sources of Versatility 3:25 0:05 Your Versatility Score 3:30 0:05 Improving Your Effectiveness with Your Customer 3:35 0:20 Recommended Exercise: Strategies for Doing Something for My 3:55 Customers 0:10 Program Summary and Next Steps 4:05 Alternate Exercises 0:15 The Open: Estimating Your Customer's Style 0:30 Giving an Elevator Speech With Style 0:25 Knowing What a Customer Accepts and Rejects 0:30 The Body: Communicating with My Customer With Style 0:30 Overcoming Resistance With Style 0:40 Getting to a Decision With Style Remember: you can add or delete optional exercises to meet the needs of your participants. 9
[IMPROVING SALES EFFECTIVENESS WITH VERSATILITY SESSION: TWO-HOUR VERSION] Visual # 1 ISEV Concepts Pages 1, 2 & 3 Introduction Why is it Important to Learn About SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility? This guide is designed to teach you about SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility concepts and how they can help you develop skills to become a more effective salesperson. By applying the SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility concepts in this guide, you can develop better relationships with your customers and get more done, faster, with less effort. Plus, your customers will most likely increase their levels of support and respect for you. Simply stated, here s how it works. You have preferred ways to act and interact with your customers. For example, when you begin the sales process you may prefer to move fast, gather just the necessary facts, contact people, and get things going right away; or, you may prefer to take things slower as you sort out the details, consider alternatives, and contemplate the consequences of taking one course of action versus another. These behavioral preferences and patterns of behavior are a part of your SOCIAL STYLE. Your customers also have their own behavioral preferences or SOCIAL STYLE. As you know from past interactions their SOCIAL STYLE can be quite different than your own. How effective you are with your customers depends on how you take their preferences into account, and how well you control your own. Your impact and effectiveness on your customers is a result of another key concept, Versatility. 1 1 1 Commitment refers to any significant decision you ask a customer to make, such as making a decision to purchase the product or service you sell, or entering into an agreement with you or your organization. Concepts [INTRODUCTION] Consider the variety of people you call on. Perhaps, one speaks loudly and These prefers SOCIAL to STYLE and Versatility concepts How the SOCIAL STYLE dominate the sales conversation; apply another regardless of what product or service is highly focused on making the you purchase sell and regardless of what industries or Model is Unique and getting the deal done; another markets goes you out serve. The common element The SOCIAL STYLE Model is not complex. of his way to be friendly and often to every ends sale up involves interacting with other Its strength is that it is easy to comprehend talking about matters unrelated people. to the Selling sale. was once thought of as a because it is based on two scales of These and many other characteristic one-on-one ways activity; however, the sales observable behaviors that form four basic of acting and interacting with people process are is more likely to involve multiple sales SOCIAL STYLEs. Once you understand expressions of a person s SOCIAL calls STYLE. and meetings with groups, committees, SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility concepts and and multiple decision makers. Your success in selling to a diverse range of principles, you can immediately employ customers depends on: your technical What remains skills as the same for all prospects them for real results. a salesperson; specialized knowledge is your about critical need to increase your sales your products or services; and, effectiveness, your ability to which is achieved by managing make your relationships mutually your productive. behavior and responding appropriately The essence of Improving Sales to Effectiveness the behavioral differences in others. When with Versatility, is how you increase you focus the on meeting others needs over interpersonal effectiveness and your productivity own, positive interpersonal relationships between you and your customers develop and how that provide opportunities for you to you earn their support and respect. offer solutions and solve problems. Improving Sales Effectiveness with Versatility can also help you effectively plan and prepare for customer interactions, approach customers and analyze their needs, present results, handle objections and gain their commitment. 1 You can learn to resolve, or even head off, unnecessary conflict caused by interpersonal friction that may arise during the give-and-take of the sales process. Identifying the SOCIAL STYLE of your Customers Sales Survey A TRACOM study surveyed recent SOCIAL STYLE training participants, who worked in sales, to determine how effective SOCIAL STYLE had been in their daily sales activities. The survey questions focused on tasks specific to salespeople including developing relationships with customers, gaining customer trust, and closing sales. Because the sales profession relies heavily on solid relationships, TRACOM wanted to research how SOCIAL STYLE training could contribute to better relationships and, ultimately, more sales. key findings* Summary of Findings TRACOM s study found that SOCIAL STYLE training could dramatically impact a salesperson s ability to create more positive relationships with current and potential customers. A majority of the surveyed salespeople felt that SOCIAL STYLE training helped them establish better relationships and gain trust with customers and prospects. Over half of the survey participants felt that as a direct result of SOCIAL STYLE training, they were able to close sales they otherwise might not have. The chart below illustrates the key findings. EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL STYLE FOR SALESPEOPLE percentage More conscious about how their behavior impacts their customers 94% Applied SOCIAL STYLE to their sales job 93% Developed more positive relationships with customers 92% Increased ability to influence or persuade customers or prospects 87% Believe that their customers now have a greater sense of confidence and trust in them 87% Improved ability to gain ongoing sales 78% Build relationships with prospects more quickly 76% Customers now more willing to disclose relevant information 75% Convert prospects to customers more quickly 69% Closed sales they otherwise might not have 58% *TRACOM Group, Centennial, CO. The percentage reflects salespeople who either strongly agreed or agreed to the statements. Visit www.tracomcorp.com for research reports. 3 Concepts 2 10
Facilitator Improving Sales Effectiveness with Versatility Session: Two-Hour Version Use the ISEV Concepts as your reference during the session that follows. SECTION I: INTRODUCTION, OVERVIEW, AND SELF-PERCEPTION QUESTIONNAIRES Welcome, Objectives, and Overview VISUAL #1 5 MIN Introduction WELCOME participants to the session and provide a brief overview of the session. ASK participants to turn to pages 1, 2 and 3 in the ISEV Concepts to follow along. Welcome participants and stress the importance of active participation. Briefly review the history of SOCIAL STYLE. Cite the proven effectiveness of increased Versatility on page 3 in the ISEV Concepts. Note: Additional information and statistics can be found in the whitepaper, "The Key to Sales Success" located on your resource CD. Explain what SOCIAL STYLE is all about. Say something like, Did you ever notice that customers have certain patterns of behavior: some are animated and loud, some treat you like a friend from the start, others are all business? SOCIAL STYLE gives you a way of identifying a customer s pattern of behavior, and of interacting with them in ways that will help you to increase your effectiveness in your selling process. Ask participants to think about their past customers. Ask, Besides, they bought from me, what made your good customers good? And, what made the difficult ones difficult to sell to? 11
[IMPROVING SALES EFFECTIVENESS WITH VERSATILITY SESSION: TWO-HOUR VERSION] Visual #10 ISEV Concepts Page 18 [SOCIAL STYLE MODEL] Unlocking the Keys to SOCIAL STYLE From the pattern of behaviors associated with each Style, we can make certain inferences about the key characteristics of each Style. These are referred to as the SOCIAL STYLE Need, Orientation, and Growth Action. The Need is a primary motivating force for this person. The Orientation is how a person with this Style typically goes about achieving the Need. The Growth Action is what a person of this Style tends to overlook, ignore, or avoid in their interactions with others. Growth Action behaviors tend to be infrequently used in favor of the preferred behaviors of each Style and they are viewed by others as the greatest weakness of that particular Style. For example: The Driving Style s growth action is to listen, which may get overlooked in favor of charging ahead to get their results. The Expressive Style s growth action is to check, that is, to stop and think about how their spontaneity and need for personal approval may be getting in the way of a productive relationship. The Amiable Style s growth action is to initiate, that is, to take action that may involve personal risk or cause an increase in tension in a relationship. The Analytical Style s growth action is to declare, that is to deliberately stop analyzing and make a decision or at least share what is causing them to not make a decision. KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL STYLE CONTROLS Analytical Need: To be right Orientation: Thinking Growth Action: To declare Driving Need: Results Orientation: Action Growth Action: To listen ASKS TELLS Amiable Need: Personal security Orientation: Relationships Growth Action: To initiate Expressive Need: Personal approval Orientation: Spontaneity Growth Action: To check EMOTES Understanding these key characteristics puts you at an advantage when developing successful strategies for interacting with your customers and for building productive interpersonal relationships with them. 18 30
VISUAL #10 5 MIN Facilitator Key Characteristics of Style Introduce the key characteristics of each Style: Style Need, Style Orientation, and Growth Action. ASK participants to turn to Unlocking the Keys to SOCIAL STYLE on page 18 of the ISEV Concepts SAY key characteristics of Style are central to understanding Style behaviors. Style Need is a generalization about the basic need of each Style and is inferred from the Style Orientation. Inform participants that an individual s specific need may vary in any given situation. Style Orientation is based on observed behaviors. Growth Action is based on behaviors that are observed rarely or not at all. Correlate Assertiveness and Responsiveness behaviors to Style Need and Orientation: Have participants think about how Style Need and Orientation directly correlate to the Assertiveness and Responsiveness behaviors that were discussed earlier. For example, the Analytical Style's need for time to think is consistent with getting things done at a slower-pace, being more interested in facts, and displaying less emotion. In the diagonally opposite corner, the Expressive Style s need for approval and Orientation toward spontaneity is consistent with being louder and with more hand gestures. Ask participants to point out correlations they see between the Driving Style s Need and Orientation and the Assertiveness and Responsiveness behaviors same question regarding the Amiable Style. Leader Tip: The key characteristics of Style are only a convenient way of summarizing basic Style characteristics. The descriptions of key characteristics are generalizations of behavior that fit most characteristics of each Style. They do not perfectly describe any single individual. 31
Facilitator Optional Exercises Four-Hour Version You can draw upon the following exercises to enhance your session to best meet the needs of your participants. See the first section of this guide for suggested outlines for conducting a two-hour (basic) or four-hour (expanded) version of the session. Important Note: Some optional exercises require additional materials, such as the ISEV Applications, Skills card, Do Unto Others Accepts/Rejects card, and Style Dial which are not included with the ISEV Admin Kit. Contact TRACOM for ordering information. This table shows the optional exercises and their suggested running times: Know Yourself/Control Yourself 1. 2. OPTIONAL EXERCISES Style Forum (Identify and discuss strengths and weaknesses of each Style) Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Style (Identify and discuss strengths and weaknesses of each Style) 3. Taking My Growth Action ADDITIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED None Handout (on Resource CD) and Concepts Handout (on Resource CD) APPROX. TIME 45 Min 30 Min 20 Min Know Others 4. Identify the Facilitator s Style (Skill practice in identifying SOCIAL STYLE) 5. Brainstorming Effective Customer Interactions Skills Card Handout (on Resource CD) 10 Min 15 Min The Open 6. The Open: Estimating Your Customer s Style ISEV Applications and Handout (on Resource CD) 15 Min 7. Giving an Elevator Speech With Style ISEV Applications 30 Min 55
[OPTIONAL EXERCISES: FOUR-HOUR VERSION] The Body 8. 9. 10. 11. Strategies for Doing Something for My Customers Knowing What a Customer Accepts and Rejects Developing Actions Toward My Customer Using the Style Dial (Skill Practice in applying Style concepts using the Style Dial) The Body: Communicating with My Customer With Style Handout (on Resource CD) Do Unto Others Accepts/ Rejects card Style Dial ISEV Applications 20 Min 25 Min 30 Min 30 Min The Close 12. Overcoming Resistance With Style ISEV Applications 30 Min 13. Getting to a Decision With Style ISEV Applications 40 Min 56
[OPTIONAL EXERCISES: FOUR-HOUR VERSION] Purpose STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF EACH STYLE The purpose of this exercise is to allow participants to learn more about their Style and to encourage them to begin thinking about how they can use their Style to be more effective in selling. Recommended Time 30 minutes Materials Needed Handout: Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Style (available on Resource CD) Flipchart and markers Visual: Strengths and Weaknesses (Visual #21) Directions 1. Give participants about 10 minutes to read more about each of the Styles in the ISEV Concepts. (Driving Style: pg 13, Expressive Style: pg 14, Amiable Style: pg 15, Analytical Style: pg 16) 2. Divide class into groups by Style. 3. Distribute the Strengths and Weaknesses handout and ask the groups to (1) create a list of their perceived strengths and weaknesses when it comes to selling, (2) create a Style bumper sticker, and (3) identify songs appropriate for their Style. You may want to read aloud the task described on the handout to make sure everyone understands it. (Feel free to modify the terms of the task to fit your organization. Just be sure that it includes a fairly significant task and that it involves meeting with customers face-to-face within a set period of time. 4. After about 10 minutes, ask each group to share its results and ask members of the opposite Style to provide feedback. Available on Resource CD Handout STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF EACH STYLE Read about your Style in the Concepts and then, working with others who have the same Style as you, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your Style given Task described below. Finally, create a saying or bumper sticker and identify some popular songs (past or present) that appropriately describe the theme of your Style. Be prepared to share your group s results. Style Task: A small manufacturer has decided to offer a new, extended service/maintenance agreement to customers who sign-up by the 10th of next month. The extended agreement is not inexpensive and will require face-to-face selling. Now, everyone in sales must get up to speed on the terms of the offer and then contact their current and past customers to get the sales process going, fast! Assess the strengths and weaknesses a person with the assigned Style would have in approaching and accomplishing this task. Strengths: Weaknesses: Bumper Stickers or Sayings: Popular Songs: 58
Facilitator BRAINSTORMING EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS Purpose This exercise gives participants skill practice in developing strategies for more effective customer interactions using real people and real situations as case examples. Recommended Time 15 minutes Materials Needed Handout: Brainstorming Effective Customer Interactions (available on the Resource CD) Visual: Brainstorming Effective Customer Interactions (Visual #24) Directions 1. Distribute the handout: Brainstorming Effective Customer Interactions. 2. Ask your participants to do the following: -- Think of one of your current customers who is presenting you with a challenging interpersonal sales situation (e.g., a customer who doesn t listen or one who can t seem to make a decision). -- Jot down some notes on parts A, B, and C of the handout. 3. After about five minutes ask participants to form groups of two or three and share their customer dilemmas and brainstorm different Style-appropriate solutions. 4. Ask for volunteers to share their customer problems and some of the suggestions that fellow participants have provided. 5. Ask how and why they believe that the suggested approach to interacting with the customer would be improved. 6. Give feedback to volunteer responses based on the Style-appropriateness of the idea. Available on Resource CD Handout BRAINSTORMING EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS Think of one of your current customers who is presenting you with a challenging interpersonal sales situation (e.g., a customer who doesn t listen or Step 1 one who can t seem to make a decision). You ll be sharing this tough situation with a few other participants. Step 2 Jot down some notes on parts A, B, and C, below. After discussing your situation with others in your group, record the feedback Step 3 that you receive in part D. A. Challenging interpersonal sales situation I m facing: B. Likely Style of the customer: C. What I ve tried that hasn t worked well: D. Ideas from other participants: 61