BNET gives us a brief look at the difference between PASSIVE, ASSERTIVE & AGGRESSIVE. Without surprise, Assertive is the most effective.
As any experienced sales pro will tell you, passive behavior seldom (if
ever) works, while the aggressive behavior, if it works, ends up making
the customer feel pressured and resentful. In most cases, it’s the
(appropriately) assertive behavior that moves the sale forward, setting
up the specific conditions for the close — without forcing the
customer’s pace.
I’ll need to self-evaluate to see where I’m at. Where are you?
It’s really not that “assertive†is better because what’s “assertive†varies according to conditions and situations. It’s a matter of begin able to gauge the level of assertiveness that’s appropriate to the actual sales situation. And you’re right — that’s partly connected with self-evaluation, because unless you know where you’re coming from, it’s impossible to make the right “emotional†call.
Geoffrey