Situativ erfolgreiches Verhandeln in Geschäftsbeziehungen. Transaktionsanalytische Konzeption und empirische Evaluierung

This thesis investigates possibilities to improve personal interactions and communication skills to create more adaptive and customer orientated salespeople in business relations. Therefore, the System Theory is used as a theoretical frame of reference which evolves due to merging it with the more practicable approach of the Transactional Analysis to a whole new analytical model. For the empirical part a mixed method design was chosen. 36 sales negotiations were recorded, transcribed and analyzed regarding situational behaviors of salespersons and customers but especially interactions of both. Customer satisfaction was queried after each recording by a questionnaire. Success of the salespersons was taken by real data of their company. Regarding the behaviors of salespeople, it especially appears that there is a significant influence on their success in the job if they stick generally well-behaved to the rules and stay shy, humble, considerate, carefully in a positive way towards the customer during the conversation. On the other hand, if salespeople try to counteract emotionally negative behaviors of the customer with their own negative behavior it has a significant negative effect. Furthermore, it even appears that there is an even worse significant negative effect if customers are emotionally loaded, and salespeople just try to answer in a straight rational way. It seems customers don’t feel taken seriously in this case. There is a whole bunch of more significant, expected, as unexpected effects of different behaviors. Not only on the sales side, but also on the customer side, which allows salespersons during the conversation to navigate and steer through the interaction based on clear indications of customer expressions. This research project examines a solution to make interactions empirical feasible and tangible. It offers a way to validate and if necessary, modify already existing recommendations regarding situational communication approaches. Therefore, it offers organizations an empirical proven approach for dedicated coaching of its salesforce and shows furthermore the salespeople how to improve their social competencies and build stronger personnel relations to their customers.