How can conflict resolution identify growth and development opportunities for your sales team?

1 What is a conflict resolution assessment?

A conflict resolution assessment is a questionnaire that measures how your sales reps tend to respond to conflict situations, based on their behavioral preferences and emotional intelligence. There are different types of conflict resolution assessments, but one of the most widely used is the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), which identifies five conflict modes: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. Each mode has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on the context and the outcome desired.

2 Why is it important for sales managers?

As a sales manager, you want your sales team to be able to handle conflict effectively, whether it is with customers, prospects, colleagues, or other stakeholders. Conflict resolution skills can help your sales reps build trust, rapport, and loyalty with their clients, as well as resolve issues, negotiate deals, and close sales. However, not all sales reps have the same conflict resolution style, and some may struggle with certain modes or situations. By using a conflict resolution assessment, you can gain insight into how your sales reps approach conflict, and what areas they need to work on to become more versatile and adaptable.

3 How to conduct a conflict resolution assessment?

The first step to conduct a conflict resolution assessment is to choose a reliable and valid tool, such as the TKI, and administer it to your sales team. You can either use a paper or online version, depending on your preference and availability. The assessment usually takes about 15 minutes to complete, and consists of 30 pairs of statements that describe possible responses to conflict. The sales reps have to choose the statement that best reflects their preferred mode of conflict resolution. The assessment then generates a profile that shows the percentage of use of each mode, and how it compares to the norm.

4 How to interpret the results?

The results of the conflict resolution assessment are not meant to label or judge your sales reps, but rather to help you understand their preferences and tendencies. Each mode has its pros and cons, and there is no one best way to deal with conflict. However, some modes may be more appropriate or effective than others, depending on the situation, the relationship, and the goal. For example, competing may be useful when you need to assert your position or protect your interests, but it may also damage the relationship or escalate the conflict. Collaborating may be ideal when you want to find a win-win solution or enhance the relationship, but it may also take too much time or effort. Compromising may be practical when you need to reach a quick agreement or balance the power, but it may also result in suboptimal outcomes or dissatisfaction. Avoiding may be helpful when you need to cool off or postpone the issue, but it may also cause resentment or missed opportunities. Accommodating may be beneficial when you want to preserve harmony or show goodwill, but it may also lead to loss of respect or self-esteem.

5 How to use the results for coaching?

The results of the conflict resolution assessment can help you design a coaching plan for your sales team, tailored to their individual needs and goals. You can use the results to identify their strengths and weaknesses, discuss when each mode is most or least effective, teach new skills and strategies, create opportunities for practice and application, and monitor the progress and impact of the coaching. Feedback and recognition should also be provided accordingly in order to adjust the plan as needed.