In addition to sensing and interpre

In addition to sensing and interpreting the customer’s communication style, salespeople
must also be aware of his or her own personal style. Mismatched and possibly
clashing styles can be dysfunctional and present significant barriers to communication
and relationship building. To minimize possible negative effects stemming
from mismatched styles, salespeople can flex their own style to facilitate effective
communication. For example, an expressive salesperson calling on an analytical
buyer would find considerable differences in both pace and relationship/taskorientation
that could hinder the selling process unless adjustments are made. Flexing
his or her own style to better match that of the buyer enhances communication.
In terms of our example, the salesperson would need to make adjustments by slowing
down his or her natural pace, reining in the level of spontaneity and animation,
and increasing task orientation by offering more detailed information and analysis.