Updating the Adaptive Selling Behaviours: Tactics to Keep and Tactics to Discard

Abstract

While salespeople are coached and trained to use an adaptive approach to selling, sales training tends to be assumptive about the inclusion of specific selling techniques. Part of this assumptive approach is the belief that the old-tried-and true techniques such as the testimonial form of closing are consistent with an adaptive selling approach. Results of this survey of over 200 industrial buyers' points to the flaws in these assumptions and suggests there are techniques which are not part of adaptive selling. Industrial buyers make distinctions between standard selling techniques – and associate a specific set of techniques with highly adaptive salespeople.