Deck 4: Using Communication Principles to Build Relationships

Question 1

As a student in a college classroom, there can be many distractions that impact your listening ability.
a. List five types of distractions or noise that can affect your ability to listen to your professor?

Answer 1

Effective communication is considered as a key to build relationships because with an open and proper communication an individual could build good amount of interpersonal relationships capable of improving overall communication.
a. The five types of distractions or noise that could affect Mr. Y's ability to listen to his professor are- continuous talk with other students, taking excessive notes, physical noise through late entering students, noise from outside, fast-speaking of the professor.
b. The above-mentioned distractions could be reduced if Mr. Y does not talk with other students while the professor is delivering a lecture; he should also avoid taking excessive notes and write only important points; he should not pay attention towards late entering students; also avoid outside noise and concentrate on what the professor is saying; and he could mention to the professor to go a little slow while delivering lecture so that students could understand and relate to what he is saying.

Question 2

Assume you are making a call on a person of the opposite sex in a culture where direct eye contact between the sexes is not supposed to occur. Much to your amazement, the buyer continues to look intently into your eyes. You are in an office alone with the buyer. What should you do?

Answer 2

Effective communication is considered as a key to build relationships because with an open and proper communication an individual could build good amount of interpersonal relationships capable of improving overall communication.
If it is assumed that Ms. Y is a non-Muslim making a sales call to a Muslim customer of opposite gender in a culture where direct eye contact between opposite genders is not considered appropriate, and that customer is continuously intentionally looking at Y's eyes. Now, that Y is alone in the office with the buyer, she should immediately call the guard and security at the office so that this person could be prevented from taking any inappropriate action with Y.
Secondly, Y should try to complete the conversation with the customer and make him go out of the office so that any scope for wrong action and behavior from the customer's side could be prevented. This way by taking correct actions Ms. Y could avoid any such wrong incident to take place with her.

Question 3

Have a friend score you using the listening test ( Exhibit 4.3 ) found in this chapter.
a. Compare your friend's score with the one you gave yourself.
b. What did this exercise teach you about your listening skills?

Answer 3

The listening ability might vary from one person to another. The listening ability of two individuals can be evaluated and compared through a questionnaire based on parameters for active listening skills.
a) Consider that on a scale of 70 points, Person A scores 55 and Person B scores 48. Then, Individual A would be categorized as a student with outstanding listening ability; whereas Individual B can be categorized as an individual with good listening ability. The comparison is performed on the basis of the total score obtained by both individuals.
b) The exercise based on active listening skills would help an individual to judge his/her listening ability. It would help him to identify the problems that he faces during listening to someone. The person can further use this information to improve his listening skills and become a good listener.

Question 4

Make a chart with three columns: Items, What I Want This Item to Communicate to Others, and What Others Will Think My Item Is Communicating. In the first column list the following: my hairstyle, the clothing I'm wearing today, and any jewelry or body accents (like earrings or tattoos). In the second column describe the message you want to communicate with each item. Have someone else fill in the third column, describing what the items communicate to him or her.

Question 5

Develop a word picture that helps explain to a 60-year-old the merits of buying a condominium instead of a house.

Question 6

What do the following body language cues indicate?
a. Tapping a finger or pencil on a desk.
b. Stroking the chin and leaning forward.
c. Leaning back in a chair with arms folded across the chest.
d. Sitting in the middle of a bench or sofa.
e. Assuming the same posture as the person with whom you are communicating.

Question 7

Word choice is important. Some words, by themselves, may be perceived negatively. Come up with a better word choice that could be more positive for each of the following words: cost, down payment, deal, objection, cheaper, appointment, commission.

Question 8

In "From the Buyer's Seat 4.1" you learned about a seller who substituted a cheaper belt dressing for the belt dressing the buyer usually bought. In what ways could the seller have improved communication?

Question 9

Closely examine ten email messages you receive. Evaluate them on the basis of the suggestions offered in this chapter for the proper use of email.

Question 10

According to the chapter opening profile, although email and text messaging are very popular, these may not be the best way to communicate with some from older generations. Think about four people you know over the age of 50. What is the best way to communicate with each of the four?

Question 11

Assume you sell college textbooks to professors who teach Personal Selling and you wish to use Twitter to build relationships with professors who are customers and prospects. Create five tweets that you would post to accomplish this objective.

Question 12

Evaluate the exchange.

Question 13

What would you do differently if you were Donald?

Question 14

Investigate the culture of Mexico in more detail by viewing Web pages and reading articles on how business salespeople can best sell there. Briefly summarize four key findings.

Question 15

What changes should Evan consider making (as compared to how he probably sold to clients in California) as he calls on prospects in Mexico? Make any assumptions necessary.

Question 16

In an effort to improve relationships and open communications, is it okay to enjoy a few beers on the golf course with your clients?