It is a fine line between trying to be assertive and not sound aggressive. Nobody wants to buy products or services from people that are aggressive because the client becomes annoyed and ends up not liking the person. You also do not want to come off as a pushover because the client could get a better deal then they are supposed to.
People think that it depends on the tone that use when you are talking to the client. This can be the case sometimes but you can still sound aggressive even if you use a peaceful tone. The phrasing of your words have a bigger effect and can help you become more assertive. Here is an example, when asking about who is working on a certain project. There are two ways you could ask this question, “who in procurement is working on this project?”, or “You know what would be easier, why don’t I just talk to procurement directly, Who should I contact?” Both are acceptable ways of asking the client but one comes off better than the other.
The second way comes off much less aggressive and more polite than the first one. It sounds more empathetic and like you are meeting to the needs of the client instead of yourself. It sounds like you are putting them in power and in control instead of yourself. These small adjustments make a big difference when trying to sell to people especially because people can come off aggressive even when they are trying not to.
source: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/assertive-not-aggressive-sales-strategies
BoweryJE22
I agree. It is difficult to walk the fine line of assertive and aggressive. Sometimes salespeople can be pushy, aggressive, and downright snarky. These things never bode well for the sale as no one wants to be intimidated into buying something, and if they are, they are almost never happy with their purchase later and will have buyers remorse.
Hi Dylan, you’ve brought up some good points in your post. When I think back to my experiences as both a customer and a seller, I can agree that there is a very fine line between assertiveness and aggressiveness. By “coming on too strong,” you could not only use a valuable customer but a potential friend. With that being said, it is important to be assertive, but assertiveness is never an adequate excuse for being rude.
There is definitely a line between being assertive and aggressive. Even being assertive in some selling contexts can be harmful but not as harmful as being aggressive. Being aggressive with a prospect is a sure fire way to lose a sale and any future business because it will make them feel like you are trying to push them into buying something they do not necessarily want.