Appreciating Differences - Jack Falt - Ottawa area, Ontario, Canada

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Book Review by Jack Falt

Cooper, Brad & Linda V. Berens, Groundbreaking Sales® Skills: Portable Sales Techniques™ to Ensure Success, Huntington Beach, CA: Telos Publications, 2004, ISBN 0-9743751-4-4, appendix, references.

Cooper’s previous booklet examined sales and temperament. This booklet continues the process by looking at sales and the interaction styles. Berens developed the concept of interaction styles as the link between temperament and Jung/Myers personality types. (Interaction styles are closely related to the DiSC system. Often books written on temperament are not really using the term in the same way as Keirsey and Jung/Myers. What they are writing about is more closely related to Berens’ interaction styles.)

The booklet begins, as did the first one, using the metaphor of the parts of a tree to describe the various parts of sales: bark (client demographics), roots (client temperament), branches (your network) and gathering the fruit (sales). It then moves on to outlining interaction styles theory.

The rest of the booklet shows how to use interaction styles theory in the world of sales: gathering the fruit — using the five senses, identifying the strengths, blind spots and pitfalls of each style; the tools — how to match your style with the client’s; the gardener’s checklist — questions to use to discover the client’s style; the gathering process — keeping the connection going; bruising the fruit — behaviours that turn the client off; and gathering techniques to use in face-to-face contact, trade shows, and telephone calls.

The appendix includes four scenarios to practise your skills on (with answers); common questions; and references.

This booklet is intended to be used as a resource for a workshop on sales techniques using interaction styles. I would think that even those untrained would find it easy to read and follow the concepts. Perhaps there will be a final booklet using the sixteen types and sales. Even if you are not a salesperson or giving workshops on sales techniques, this booklet will help you understand the concept of interaction styles better. Besides, if you are a professional facilitator, you are a salesperson whether you like it or not. Certainly, trying to keep the concept of temperament and/or interaction styles in your head while trying to make a sale is a little more manageable, but other authors have used psychological type as a model for sales techniques.

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