--- title: Dealing with Conflict Is Not Aggressive | The Sales Blog description: There is something people call aggressive that isn’t something that should be attached to that word. People who are generally more averse to conflict believe that this behavior is aggressive when it is not. Instead, what they deem as aggressive is nothing more than dealing with challenges directly. Let’s say you have a client that […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Kitten.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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People who are generally more averse to conflict believe that this behavior is aggressive when it is not. Instead, what they deem [as aggressive](http://thesalesblog.com/2017/11/12/how-to-be-professionally-persistent/) is nothing more than dealing with challenges directly. Let’s say you have a client that always asks you for a discount (this is a very poorly disguised hypothetical). You don’t believe you should have to discount your pricing because you create value in excess of your competitor’s pricing. Regardless of what you believe, your client always asks you for a better price. This is what you might call a systemic problem, because it continues to happen over and over and over again . . . like a giant cable knit sweater. One choice is to try to defend your pricing and your model on every call, repeating the same pattern from week to week. By avoiding a bigger conversation, you eliminate the risk of making your client unhappy by asking to change the nature of your relationship from one that is transactional to one where you create greater value—and one in which you are entitled to capture a little more value for doing so. By making this choice, you avoid the potential conflict and a potential negative outcome that might come from broaching the subject. You also leave the problem unresolved. A second choice is to ask to have a conversation about your relationship and [the value you create](http://thesalesblog.com/2017/07/03/higher-price-commitment-creating-greater-value-episode-153/) beyond the product. By asking, “Can we talk about how I can best serve you and why it makes sense for you to buy from me even if our price is a little bit higher than our competitors? I want to make sure I am serving you and make sure you know that I will take care of, even if I don’t always have the lowest price?” Now the cat is out of the bag, and we can now give it a name. Let’s call it “reset.” By dealing directly with a systemic challenge, you can work on a systemic solution. Instead of leaving the issue unaddressed, you address it, and you work towards a resolution. This is not aggressive, nor does it have to be. You can choose to enter this conversation in a way that is playful, professional, and one in which no one feels that you are being aggressive. ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2018](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2018) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on February 20, 2018 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2021-06-15T5:59:16 PM", "datePublished" : "2018-02-20 19:45:51", "description" : "There is something people call aggressive that isn’t something that should be attached to that word. People who are generally more averse to conflict believe that this behavior is aggressive when it is not. 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