Talk:Conflict resolution strategy

Shimul2723 (talk) 21:30, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

Conflict resolution strategy

Reflecting back on the last time you purchased something from somebody, would you be able to tell what really prompted you to buying it? Regardless of whether you think it was good recommendation or just a good working history that made you buy the said item, the truth is that trust was the key determinant. You may agree with me that that’s obvious, yet for the many years I have been involved in delivering conflict resolution strategies seminars, I have come across salespeople who are unable to conduct a short trust-winning conversation.

To begin with, the ‘sale’ or ‘selling’ I am talking about in this sense has a wide connotation, and may not bear the usual meaning as such, but in the various human interactions. We get involved in sales in our normal daily chores, usually unaware that we are selling, and as such we are all salespeople. For example, when trying to win over somebody to back your own idea, or better still when communicating to someone, are forms of sales that we engage in without being aware that we are actually selling. We interact with our environment in a give and take manner involving both tangible and intangible activities, and this interaction involves buying and selling of stuff. As such, selling can be included among the varied conflict resolution strategies available for us.

The question of how to create trust and the shortest most-effective way is not quite elaborate. To understand it, let’s revisit the most recent conversation you played the role of a ‘buyer’ in and try to decipher what really made you let the ‘seller’ to carry on with his talk. Note that no selling process can be finalized without trust, and that there are a number of factors that contribute to the building of trust. One such factor that is most likely to be present is the feeling of being understood. During arguments, a sale in this case, the need to be understood is usually consolidated, and it is through proper acknowledgement of such need that we are able to bolster our conflict resolution strategies.

The ability to make a potential client feel that he is being understood is among the crucial selling abilities. The spirit of empathy-the ability to replicate the other side’s perception, and in return give them the assurance that you have done so- is a two-step procedure that consists of duplicating the other person’s message, and then making them know that their message has been fully understood.

Pleasant words we may say, but what actual meaning does this carry with regards to how a sales conversation should be conducted? How can it be incorporated into an action that will effectively transform an individual’s conflict resolution strategies? Just like was the case with trust, there are a number of ways that can be used to generate the empathetic feeling in a buyer. These approaches are based on one’s ability to suppress his perception and focus on the other side’s point of view.

For instance, a good number of salespeople begin their conversations by making know the product they are offering, and the reasons as to why the product is good, or any other positive remark about the item. The empathetic approach on the other hand replaces the above rant with a simple and friendly inquiry into what it is that the client is looking for, thereby by enabling the client to comfortably communicate his needs. This approach not only gives the client the feeling that he is being listened to, but it also provides the seller with vital information on what the client wants in order to complete the ‘purchase’.

It is good to notice that ‘selling’ can be when your kid appears reluctant to perform her daily chores when asked to. How about treating the child as a ‘client’ by demonstrating empathy and asking him a question such as “what can we mutually do in order to make it a more pleasant task?" The child will automatically feel that he is being heard, giving you a platform to encourage him to perform his chores diligently. And just to add on, have you ever considered as part of dispute resolution strategies the objective conversations you have with your loved ones? The same approach will be quite effective when dealing with a real client, the one from which we sell goods or services to in exchange for money.

The trick is simple; if you want to make quick and effective sales, ensure you create trust between you and the client, such that the client is able to feel that he is being understood. Such a feeling can only be created by expressing sufficient empathy.

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