When it comes to selling, you might find yourself getting into a rut, overly relying on your cold call scripts, and going through the motions of just trying to get that sale.
And if you are doing this, you may find your sales numbers and passion dwindling.
So, maybe it's time to try a new strategy. One that will help you keep your wit sharp by utilizing your people skills, improv skills, and ability to read social cues.
We're talking about adaptive selling, the improv theatre of the selling world.
In this article, we'll go through four great adaptive sales strategies for you to adopt, as well as going through what adaptive selling is, its benefits, challenges, and much more.
So, let's get into it!
The adaptive selling definition is when a salesperson adjusts the way they're trying to sell, depending on the information they have and the situation they are in. It involves being able to read people and situations well, think quickly on your feet, and improvise. All of which is easier said than done. However, it's an effective strategy.
You can use adaptive selling in combination with other methods of selling or achieving your sales strategy. This is because adaptive selling is a method, not a plan of attack. It is almost vague in its stratagem.
We compared it to improv theatre above, so let's stick with that for a moment. Basically, in adaptive selling, making a sale is the objective of the scene, with the customer being your unwitting improv partner. You need to figure out their character, motivations, needs, etc., and how best to convince them to buy your products.
You can ask yourself questions based on your knowledge of your target customer, such as:
These are calculations you need to be able to make without tipping off your prospect and making them feel like you're manipulating them. And you need to make sure you're not thinking of it as such. You aren't manipulating these customers. You're trying to best explain so they can understand why your products can help them.
Whether or not you know it, these are probably skills you already possess, at least to some degree, as a successful salesperson. They're baked into the sales process, really. Think about it, the 7 sales cycle stages are:
You're already establishing the character of your prospect and what they need within the first three steps of the cycle. You'll probably be adjusting your strategy if it's not working in stage five until you close the deal in stage six. That's adaptive selling!
Here are a few differences between adaptive selling and traditional sales approaches:
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Criteria |
Description |
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Focus |
Traditional sales center on the salesperson's goals and product features. Adaptive selling prioritizes the customer's challenges and finding solutions. |
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Approach |
Traditional methods are scripted and product-driven. Adaptive selling is flexible, employing different communication styles and highlighting relevant product benefits based on the customer. |
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Relationship |
Traditional sales aim for one-time transactions. Adaptive selling fosters long-term relationships by building trust and exceeding expectations. |
Empathy is crucial in adaptive selling. By understanding the customer's perspective and challenges, salespeople can tailor their approach. This requires flexibility – adapting communication styles, sales presentations, and even product recommendations to resonate with each unique customer.
In essence, adaptive selling empowers salespeople to become trusted advisors who solve customer problems rather than simply selling products.
With adaptive selling, you aren't beholden to a script or a particular set of steps. Instead, you can rely on your judgment to forge a more individualized and effective path forward with your prospect.
The individualized aspect of that sentence is important. Because this new path forward should be based on what your prospect needs. Essentially, you're customizing a sales experience for them. And adaptive selling allows you to do that.
However, there are still some limitations to the flexibility. You still shouldn't be deceitful, share inaccurate information, do anything unethical or illegal, etc.
What you should do, as explained above, is evaluate your prospect and adjust how (and maybe even what) you're selling accordingly to give your customer an easier, more trusting sales experience.
And this leads us to our second benefit.
If you've properly evaluated your prospect, adaptive selling should make your prospect more at ease and more trusting of you — because you understand what they need. You've done the work earlier in the sales cycle and directly with them to understand them. Customers will feel more at ease if they feel a salesperson is invested in them as people and in ensuring they have a comfortable, easy sales experience to get the products they need.
Trust can be a big barrier to salespeople. HubSpot found that only 6.7% of people found sales information and advice trustworthy, with 33.6% saying it's somewhat trustworthy. That leaves 40.3% of people who seemingly found it untrustworthy.
However, that same HubSpot study found that at the top of the list of how sales can create a positive experience for customers is to listen to their needs. And that's what adaptive selling is all about!
(Although 83% of salespeople also reported in that study that they did that, there may be some disconnect between the opinions of the salesperson and the customer in interactions. Keep that in mind when analyzing the situation.)
There are other things you can do, as well, to establish that trust. For instance, if a customer asks you about a fancy add-on that you know they don't need, explain why you wouldn't recommend them. That sort of honesty will make them trust you more, too.
And this even goes with a product you may have originally recommended to them. If you no longer would suggest they purchase it, tell them, including why.
Although, also use your judgment. This is another example of scripted advice, and if you've evaluated that with this prospect being so upfront isn't the way to go; that's adaptive selling, baby. Do what you've got to do (within reason, ethically, and legally).
Great customer service is a great way to generate more sales. better customer service brings in almost six times more revenue than your competitors.
Adaptive selling relies on great customer service to work. That's why you're focusing so much on adapting your sales strategy to your customers' needs – so they'll have a great sales experience. Doing this will earn your customers' trust and make them feel more comfortable and, therefore, more likely to purchase the recommended products, as we mentioned above.
Well, all that combines to create great customer service. And, customers who've dealt with your business and felt like the customer service was exceptional are more likely to recommend you to someone else.
That will bring your business even more customers – or at least prospects on which you can work your adaptive selling magic.
If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again — with a new strategy better tailored to your prospects. You don't want to harass your prospects or come off as the dreaded pushy salesperson, but with adaptive selling, if you feel you failed the first call, you can re-adjust your strategy and reach out to them again. Maybe not right away. That'll depend on your strategy. But you'll get another chance to come at them with a new attitude.
Statistically speaking, you aren't likely to make the sale on the first call. It typically takes 8 call attempts to reach a prospect, and 20% of qualified leads will convert into a sale.
So, if you blew that call, or even one of the few after it, you can get off that call, take a deep breath, whip out your CRM and analyze what you've learned. Ask yourself questions like
Once you've answered those questions, you'll be able to go into the next call more prepared, and you can get that rare second chance to make a good first impression.
Of course, you can also do this on the fly, too. If you can switch the tide of the call while you're on it, even better. That's still adjusting.
Either way, the point is that adaptive selling allows you to be flexible in your sales approach, so if your strategy isn't going well, you can regroup and try something else. Really, that's what it's all about.
Although we've talked about adaptive selling as if it will make selling easier (and it will), that's not to say that it's an easy strategy to adopt. There can be a certain amount of quick thinking necessary if you're going to switch up your sales approach with a customer mid-conversation.
And that kind of quick thinking can be hard to execute and hard to learn.
However, given the nature of sales in general, we'd be willing to bet that quick-thinking skills are something you already have. You may just need some practice honing them in on adaptive selling.
Adaptive selling takes a good eye for reading social situations, including body language, social cues, vocal tone, between the lines, etc. This isn't easy to do, and some, even salespeople, may struggle with it — particularly if you're new to sales.
However, it is something you can get better at with time. And, due to the flexible nature of adaptive selling, you don't need to get it right the first time.
Although we should say, you may eventually strike out if you keep switching up your strategy to your customer. The changes may be too noticeable, and the customer may feel manipulated. That's why accurately reading the situation and adjusting accordingly to match your customer is important. You want to avoid that image of being manipulative.
From emails to cold call scripts, we like our scripts in sales. So, if you're new or someone who's not used to going off-script, it can seem daunting, especially when that going off-script is paired with the two previous challenges.
Take comfort, though, that going off-script is something that's done in sales all the time. You've probably done it. Everyone who's ever worked in retail certainly has. There's no script for when a customer comes up to you with a specific request while you're folding the sweaters at the boutique or you're a sales associate.
Therefore, although we have it listed as a challenge here, certainly don't be discouraged by going off-script. Surely, the improv will soon become your bread and butter.
Adaptive selling thrives on a foundation of core principles that ensure a customer-centric approach. Let's look into some of the most crucial ones:
The cornerstone of adaptive selling is truly listening to the customer. This goes beyond simply hearing their words. It involves actively engaging in understanding their challenges, goals, decision-making process, and any potential pain points. By asking insightful questions and practicing active listening, salespeople gain valuable insights that will guide the entire sales conversation.
Not all customers are created equal. Some prefer a data-driven approach with detailed product specifications, while others prioritize emotional connection and building rapport. Adaptive selling requires salespeople to tailor their approach to individual preferences and buying behaviors. This might involve adjusting the presentation style, highlighting different product features, or even recommending alternative solutions based on the customer's specific needs.
Effective communication is key to building trust and rapport. Adaptive selling emphasizes adjusting communication styles to resonate with the customer's personality and the sales context.
For instance, a salesperson might use a more analytical style with a technical buyer while adopting a friendly and enthusiastic approach with a more relationship-oriented customer.
Understanding the customer's communication style ensures a smooth and engaging interaction.
Adaptive selling is an ongoing process. Salespeople need to be responsive to customer feedback throughout the interaction. This means actively listening to objections and concerns and then adjusting their strategies in real time. Perhaps a key feature wasn't emphasized enough, or the pricing structure doesn't align with the customer's budget. By being responsive and adaptable, salespeople can address concerns, adjust their approach, and ultimately increase their chances of closing the deal.
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Adaptive Selling |
Description and Example |
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Tailoring Products to Your Customer |
Make sure the products (or services) you're offering your customers would be genuinely beneficial for them once you have enough information to begin tailoring specific products to them. Ex. You're a car insurance salesperson offering a specific package to a customer after finding out their budget, what type of car they have, what they currently pay, how many accidents they've been in, etc., because you know this package best fits with their needs. |
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Tailoring Communication to Your Customer |
By this, we mean both the style in which you communicate (friendly, professional, overly explanatory vs. brief, etc.) and how you communicate (via phone call, SMS, email, in-person, etc.). Ex. You communicate with your client mainly by a phone call around 1 pm when you know they're on break from their job, and through SMS communication after 5 pm when you know they're off work. Some SMS communications are automated messages you've scheduled ahead of time, following up on calls, reminding them of meetings, etc. |
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Going Off-Script |
If you've got a script developed for your communication with your customer, but it's not working, you can go off-script to get the conversation back on track in the direction you want. Ex. You're using a script for a cold call, but your customer does not understand precisely what you're saying, so you go off script to better explain what you mean in a way your customer understands and appreciates. You illustrate your point by comparing it to something relevant to their own life that you've learned. |
Here are a few adaptive sales techniques you can use in adaptive selling:
This technique acknowledges that different buying situations call for different approaches. Adaptive salespeople using situational selling consider factors like the urgency of the customer's need, their budget, and their level of authority in the decision-making process. By understanding the situation, they can tailor their pitch, highlighting the most relevant benefits and addressing any specific concerns that might arise.
The core of adaptive selling lies in solving customer problems. This technique focuses on identifying the customer's specific challenges and showcasing how the product or service directly addresses them. By presenting themselves as trusted advisors with a solution-oriented mindset, salespeople build trust and demonstrate the value proposition more effectively.
Similar to problem-solving, consultative selling positions the salesperson as a trusted advisor. Adaptive salespeople employing this technique take a collaborative approach, working with the customer to understand their needs and goals. Through open-ended questions and active listening, they uncover deeper challenges and then recommend solutions that align with the customer's situation.
Adaptive selling emphasizes value over features. Value-based selling focuses on demonstrating the tangible benefits the product or service brings to the customer's business. By quantifying the return on investment (ROI) or highlighting how the solution can improve efficiency or productivity, salespeople using this technique create a compelling case for the customer and differentiate themselves from competitors pushing just features.
And now finally, we're here. The meat and potatoes of our article. So, without further ado, here are our four strategies for adaptive selling
Allow us to explain.
Are we biased? Maybe. But are we right? Yes. Adopting a CRM will undoubtedly make it easier for you to invest in adaptive selling.
Why?
Because CRMs help with customer organization, data collection, and customer communication, using the information your CRM has gathered and you've recorded on the platform can be a great way to help you understand your customers' wants and needs so that you can understand how to adapt your selling strategy to best cater to them.
Before making initial contact, you can devise a personalized strategy. If that's not working, you can re-analyze in between communications and adjust. And (within reason, as mentioned previously) you can continue to do that, making sure you're keeping your customer's needs in mind as communication continues and you move along the sales cycle with them.
This strategy was touched on briefly in our adaptive selling examples, but one adaptive selling strategy is to target your customers through direct communication and develop your strategy for selling directly to your customer (again, adjusting as you go). This can include communications done over the phone, email, SMS, in-person, etc.
With direct communication, you'll develop an initial strategy for targeting your prospect using the initial prospecting and researching stages of the sales cycle. (Don't forget to use a CRM to make this easier).
Then, as you go through the sales cycle stages, you can adjust how you communicate with your customer as necessary.. Does your customer prefer phone calls, in-person meetings, texts, emails, or a combination of some or any of the above? And when?
And then, from there, it's about finding the right approaches and styles of communication, the right products to offer, etc.
Targeting your customer through direct communications may seem like the obvious mode of adaptive selling, but there's another way, too. You can leverage technology to ensure a customized experience for your customers. A few examples of that include
This is similar to communicating directly with your customer. With the initial contact you make with your prospect, find out who the decision-maker is and how and when the best ways of communicating are. And then only use those ways unless there's some sort of sales emergency. (This may work best if there are at least two means of communication, so if you can establish a primary and a secondary communication style, do.)
If your customer only wants to be contacted by phone, except for the odd email to make plans and iron out details, then every time you need to address them, you'll have to pick up that phone or type out an email.
If your customer only wants to be texted with the odd phone call, if something needs to be elaborated on or discussed immediately, then you know what to do.
And so on, for every means and combination of communication.
If you haven't adopted adaptive selling into your selling strategy, we recommend you at least consider it.
But, if that's not enough, we've also given you a number of strategies to work with. Let's just roll through them again, just to keep them fresh in your mind
And, to make it easier for you, consider purchasing a CRM like Ringy! You can request a demo to see how it works or start a free trial to try it for yourself.