Resolving Business Conflicts

Today, we have Nikhil, who is a Business Development Lead at AdMAVIN, pitching in with his thoughts about resolving business conflicts
Conflict is a part of work life. Business conflicts can range from disagreements with colleagues to pacifying an adamant client. Often the approach we take towards the given conflict situation might be ineffective. We often take on any conflict the way we were evolutionary meant to do — aggressively, trying to deflect the criticism without empathizing on the issue.
As Sun Tzu said — The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting! While I certainly don’t intend to equate the client or your colleague with the enemy, the message is crystal clear. DO NOT FIGHT. Trying to be aggressive is often counterproductive in these situations.
First and foremost, you must acknowledge the problem and not let your emotions get the better of you. Acknowledging the opposite party’s point is essentially keeping your mind open. LISTEN. Try to summarize the issue. Paraphrase (It proves you were listening!)
Next, you must DIG DEEPER. Try to ask contextual questions. Try and find out the reason behind their assessment or their inhibition towards the product or the service that you are offering or the point that you are trying to make. The questioning helps in building camaraderie, which is an essential aspect of any successful sale.
ANSWER. Use facts and figures to illustrate the point in question. Use practical, live examples from the past. Give functional evidence on the issue.
CLOSE. Closing the conflict is the most important part of resolving it. You must elicit clarification from the client and ensure that the issue at hand has been reasonably addressed.
Finally, you must also obtain a commitment to move forward. Unless you receive a proper close, you can assume that the person is not convinced and may start again by acknowledging that issues still exist with your response. Unless you close the conflict completely, it will be impossible to execute that sale.
As Dale Carnegie put it — A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still!

