Win engagement
Earning commitment can be one of the most challenging activities or skills in today’s business world. We think it is a challenge mainly because people do not always understand what it really means and how to get there. Too often, gaining engagement is associated with “hard closing” or “tying in” from customers.
While many people would love to find a turnkey solution, an easily applicable and reproducible recipe, gaining engagement depends on the quality of the interaction between individuals and groups. It depends intimately on the value that commitments bring to the people who make them.
What is commitment?
It is an agreement to take action between at least two parties (individuals or groups) based on meeting the needs of both parties. In other words, I, for example, will agree to commit to an action if I believe that what I do will help me satisfy a need (or needs) that I have and, consequently, add value to my life or my work.
What do we need to reach a compromise?
When salespeople, managers, trainers, and account executives are asked that question as a customer, this is basically what many of them say it takes to get them engaged.
There must be a clear knowledge / understanding that the planned actions are beneficial and will satisfy a need or add value. I will never commit to doing something that does not generate a profit.
So how come many managers and sales executives ask their salespeople to “sell hard” or “close the deal”?
Normally, a compromise is made between and by two parties. Both are dedicated to doing something. We need to understand that if one party sees value (here the seller sees value in convincing a customer to buy a product) but the other does not, it is highly unlikely that there is a commitment to take action that satisfies both parties. In sales, this is often the case. It comes from the salesperson who wants something for himself that does not yet have a clear value for his counterpart, the customer.
Does this mean that sometimes we cannot reach a compromise? Not at all. In fact, every interaction must lead to a compromise. We just have to be reasonable with our expectations and realize that a clear understanding of the needs of both parties will allow both parties to commit to some action that helps them move towards a worthwhile solution.
Let’s review what needs to be done and do it effectively before we can compromise.
Key components
To reach a compromise, you need to:
1. Clearly identify and understand the needs of others.
2. Clearly express your own needs
3. Make sure critical needs are on the table
4. Make sure the other person understands that we understand their needs.
5. Make it clear that your goal is to take actions that are in line with critical needs.
6. Both agree to a definite action
Key skills
– How to discover needs
– Ask questions to help you build a case and follow the answers to ensure complete understanding
– Listen (paraphrase, eye contact, posture)
– Involve the people involved (use silence, repeat, ask for clarification)
– Offer information for understanding.
– Consolidate what both seem to agree
The following is an effective exercise to practice these skills. Whether with a specific case study / short scenarios or an impromptu discussion topic, have people in groups of 3-4 engage in a discussion and try to find areas of agreement and then gain engagement.
Example of improvised themes:
– Find 3 key rules for the education of children.
– Find the 3 most important characteristics that a car needs to generate profits
– What are the 3 things that humans must have in their lives to find balance?
– What are the 3 actions that must be taken to combat poverty effectively?
The concept of U & I, DO ™
With Aseret’s simple communication method that can be applied to any situation. Whether we sell, argue a case, discuss objections, ask questions, try to find solutions, or win compromise, this method works.
Acquire commitment to U & I, DO ™
1. Understand who you are communicating with and your environment.
2. Identify your needs through questions. Get them involved
3. Disclose information that identifies solutions
4. Organize the expressed needs and consolidate
Understand
Who are you dealing with? What is their style of behavior? What is important to them? What is your role in today’s environment? What are your responsibilities? What do they care or what do they believe in? What are the pressures or limitations or realities that you face in today’s environment?
Initiate the interaction by stating the objective, the reason for the discussion, and the potential end value of this investment of time and effort.
Identify
Check your understanding of their situation and sincerely show that you want to understand their situation and needs.
Ask questions that allow them to express their needs, situation, philosophies, and beliefs.
Be open to what they have to express and always check that you really understand. If things are not clear, clarify before proceeding further.
To reveal
Help your counterpart understand your needs.
Express your ideas about how it can help (your understanding, your products, your organization, your services, your experience, your knowledge, etc …) meeting their needs (solution).
Provide elements to help them understand and demonstrate the possibility of commonly worthwhile actions.
Organize
Check how the needs of both sides are understood.
Establish common points, agreements and concomitant points of view on needs, objectives, goals or necessary actions.
Always address the most important needs first (critical needs)
Use the Consolidation Statement: How fair is it to say that what is important to you is X and that what I can offer can help you (others) meet those needs?
Use the action statement: Based on the fact that your need for X can be met by what we can offer, what are the next steps we should participate in?
Key concepts to remember
– Putting undue pressure is ineffective
– You need to show your true desire to find solutions that are good for both of you.
– Honesty is a strong motivator to induce trust.
– Adapt to your counterpart’s style without changing who you are
– Identify appropriate reasons to suggest actions.
– It takes the right pressure to take action that meets a need and creates a solution.
– Practice behaviors that help you make people feel comfortable and confident.
In a training environment, it is important for each participant to practice and receive feedback from their counterparts and neutral observers. It is also very important that participants individually explain why these concepts are important, ask them to discuss it in small groups, agree on the most compelling reasons, and commit to a specific action that they will take as a group to pursue each concept in the coming weeks. . A conference call can be arranged after 3 weeks to share success stories in the effective application of the concepts.
conclusion
Winning commitment is not a matter of tricks, recipes, or blind determination. However, compromise is quite easy and natural when needs are understood and consistent solutions are offered. When both parties see a benefit in whatever action they agree to take, a true compromise is possible.
Understanding the people we interact with, fully identifying their needs, and clearly disclosing our own needs will lead to organized and consolidated action steps that will benefit all parties.
Philippe Glaude, M.Sc.