Signs of MADness: Cognitive Dissonance

As I mentioned in the introduction, I try to avoid traditional sales practices because they make me uneasy. This discomfort has a name: Cognitive Dissonance.

A phenomenon first described by social psychologist Leon Festinger, Cognitive Dissonance was originally defined as "the unpleasant feeling that arises when we confront facts that clash with our beliefs." This definition was later modified by psychologist Elliot Aronson, who characterized Cognitive Dissonance as "the discomfort we feel when we sense a conflict between our behavior and self-concept" - a fancy way of saying that Cognitive Dissonance is The Feeling of Phoniness.

According to Aronson, self-concept tends to be positive, and it is something we try to preserve. Since most of see ourselves as competent and ethical people, dissonance occurs when we are inept, or sense that we are behaving dishonorably.

It should be no surprise, then, that manipulation, aggressiveness, and deception create Cognitive Dissonance in salespeople, because:

• MAD sales tactics rarely work.
  
• Most sellers see themselves as honest, straightforward, and decent folks, and
  
• The majority of salespeople know viscerally when they are mistreating prospects
  

Ultimately, there are only three things you can do with Cognitive Dissonance: Accept it, reduce it, or eliminate it. Because acceptance is untenable for most of us, I will discuss different strategies salespeople use to mitigate the stress of internal conflict.


HOW SALESPEOPLE REDUCE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
In my experience, sellers use one or more of the following strategies to reduce the tension of Cognitive Dissonance:

1. Denial – they refuse to admit that their methods are ineffective, or acknowledge that their conduct is ethically unsound.
   
2. Rationalization - they justify their behavior with reasons like, “Buyers are liars,” and, “If I don't sell the way management wants me to, I'll be fired."
   
3. Avoidance - they shun activities that create dissonance, like conventional cold-calling.
   
4. Compartmentalization – they try to separate who they are on the job, from their True Selves.
   
5. Distraction – they divert their attention from their discomfort
   
6. Self-Medication – they elevate their mood temporarily with food, alcohol, or risky behavior.
   
7. Selective Compliance - they sell in a traditional manner, only when management is present.
   
   

HOW SALESPEOPLE ELIMINATE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
Since most folks have a low tolerance of Cognitive Dissonance, sellers who can't stand it usually deal with it in one of two ways:

• Defection – they go somewhere else, or decide to do something else, to make a living.
  
• Behavior Modification – they change the way they act, so their actions are consistent with their self-image.
  

Sadly, Cognitive Dissonance is a way of life for salespeople who trade their honor for bread. Afraid to change or ignorant of alternatives, they cope with the pain of self-betrayal using the aforementioned strategies, plus the most popular palliative of all: Motivation.

Traditional salespeople tend to be motivation junkies because they are constantly at war with prospects and themselves. Forever under siege, they return repeatedly to Dr. Peptalk for a fix that ultimately fixes nothing.

What salespeople really need is trust and respect, including self-respect. That, and an approach to selling that fosters open and honest participation by prospects. Because motivation cannot meet these needs its impact is short-lived, making the demand for pump-ups insatiable.

It is not rejection that drives sellers to the street corners where the motivation merchants ply their wares: It is the the resistance created by manipulative, aggressive, and deceptive sales tactics.

© Bradley P. Simpson 2009. All rights reserved.