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Personality Profiles:
How To Work with Them
by Christine Harvey
“No matter what I say, I don't seem to be able to get through. Why won't
they decide to buy or not? They have all the facts, the best price, the
fastest delivery--why won't they make a decision?” Does this sound familiar?
Business is lost needlessly every day by managers and salespeople who
haven’t learned to adapt to personality profiles.
When two personalities come together in a room, it's a little like two
chemicals coming together in a test tube. Each one affects the other. We
wouldn't put two chemicals together in a test tube without knowing the
properties of each! The reaction could be explosive.
Yet we often throw ourselves into situations with other people without
knowing the properties of each--the personality make-up of them, or of
ourselves. No wonder the outcome is less than perfect.
Imagine the following scenario, a true story related by Bill at a seminar.
Behind the desk sits a conservatively dressed buyer, with neat appearance,
white shirt, dark suit and tie. His desk is clear, with a white note pad,
neatly headed with the meeting date and title, placed carefully on the
middle of the desk.
The salesman enters, bright red tie, and matching silk handkerchief showing
flamboyantly from the pocket of his expensive suit, designer briefcase, and
a gold bracelet dangling at the cuff of the silk shirt. He exudes an
enthusiastic “Good Morning.”
Did the two characters hit it off immediately? No, the salesman, not trained
in responding differently to each personality type, failed to notice the
hesitant reaction from the buyer. The desk chair moving further away, the
reluctance to answer questions, the softening tone of his voice, were all
clues to the buyer's personality.
What did the salesman do? He moved forward when the buyer withdrew, he asked
more questions when the buyer hesitated. He raised his voice as the buyer
lowered his. And so it went. The salesman responded in ways he knew best.
The more aggressive he became, the more the buyer retreated. The salesman
was losing business needlessly.
Build Trust Through Compatibility
Had he been a student of personalities, he would have known he needed to
respond more like the other person to build compatibility. Without
compatibility a relationship can't begin to grow. We need to show
compatibility first. Later we can show our differences and strengthen our
relationship. But first there needs to be common ground.
Everyone needs to feel there are compatible areas before they accept the
differences. Shouldn't we all remember to respond in an acceptable way to
our buyer the next time we're selling an idea or a product?
To be successful, we have to be adaptable. When dealing with conservative or
analytical buyers, salespeople need to present the facts of the case and
then back off, taking care to set a time and date for a follow-up call and
religiously keeping to that appointment. This type of analytical,
fact-finding buyer will resent any early intrusion into their world, unless
it is at their invitation, and on their time and terms. In order to stop
losing business needlessly, we must foster that compatibility.
The successful salesperson will recognize these personality signals and
treat each sales situation differently. They will watch for the signs and
signals from the prospect. They will adapt their style to build
compatibility.
Don't Let Assumptions Kill the Sale
One of Bill's closest colleagues, Norman Berry, decided to apply his hard
work and integrity ethics to starting two new companies. One was a
distribution company for security and safes.
On one sales call, he was faced with a husband and wife buying team, who
owned a lock and safe store. The husband liked Norman and loved to talk.
Norman discussed the business with him at first. The wife was more task
minded. He checked and cross-checked the problems and the recent sales
trends with her.
After understanding the buying motives, Norman turned to the wife and said,
“I understand you've already sold one floor safe this week, and had another
inquiry yesterday. How about taking the three I have in the car? With the
price reductions I've calculated, you should be able to sell those by the
time I'm around next week.”
The sale was his. The order was signed by the wife. Norman knew that the
husband was the one person not to sell to--conversations with him revealed
buying motives, but when it came to getting the order, the wife was the task
minded decision maker.
Many sales, and hours, have been lost by salespeople who don't understand
the personalities of the buying duo. If we presume that one person is the
decision-maker without looking deeper, we may be wasting our time.
Personalities complement each other, and we need to direct our efforts
properly to each.
Establish the Key Motivators, Don't Guess
An article in Psychology Today, expressed the idea that the sales profession
is a psychological laboratory. It involves testing human intelligence,
persistence, persuasiveness, and resilience, plus the ability to deal with
rejection on a daily basis.
In the consulting field, Bill's company, Sykes Consultants, uses a
personality profile predictor to screen and understand people's personal
characteristics. As a qualified analyst using uses a personality profile
predictor to screen and understand this type of predictor, Bill is able to
develop personality profiles of individuals who are likely to succeed in
certain types of jobs.
In sales and management jobs, it's particularly important to find out how
certain types of people will interface with their own salespeople and with
potential customers. The profiles also show how the personalities of
individuals will interface.
Isn’t it better to find out from testing rather than to spend a lifetime
guessing. Sales managers, and indeed all company directors, need to
recognize the styles and talents that are inherent in their successful
salespeople. How else can they motivate their people to achieve the best
results?
Guessing at what motivates people can lead to disaster. Studies consistently
show that different motives drive top salespeople to success. Some of these
factors includes the need for status, control, respect, routine,
accomplishment, stimulation, and honesty. Is that what you would have
guessed about salespeople who achieve success?
The Psychology Today article indicates that many of the best salespeople
seek recognition as proof of their ability. They enjoy being with people and
delight in influencing them. They need respect and want to be seen as
experts on what is right, best, or appropriate.
And, contrary to the common stereotype, most like routine and don't like
having it interrupted. They need accomplishment, not just material comforts.
After a while material rewards lose their ability to motivate.
Many like to create new challenges such as going after impossible sales.
They make the impossible happen. They thrive on challenge and welcome
outside stimulation to channel their high level of energy.
Many have a strong need to believe in their product and service support.
Their inner need for honesty means that they will switch jobs if the company
reputation falls or the product quality declines.
Understanding personality profiles, either through testing or simply by
studying people's needs, is vital. If we are going to influence, coach, and
motivate our team into a dynamic sales force, or to sell our product and
ideas, then we need to understand each and every person. For, indeed, they
are all different. They are all individuals with separate values and needs.
Remember, the buyer holds the order pad! Don't forget the red-tie salesman
who advanced as the buyer withdrew. Don't follow in his footsteps. If you
want to succeed, take your cue from the successful. Join the superstars of
sales who know that their selling style must be adapted to suit each
individual buyer. It is up to the salesperson to do the adapting and not the
buyer.
Remember to stop losing business needlessly:
Recognize personality styles and adapt to it.
ACTION SHEET
Ideas for
Development:
1. Realize that each prospect needs to be sold to differently.
2. Build trust through compatibility.
3. Don’t jump to conclusions about who the decision maker is before
analyzing
the personalities.
4. Consider a personality profiling tool to learn about yourself or your
sales team.
5. To motivate a sales team or a customer, consider personality differences.
6. List other points here:
7.
Of the above ideas, which one is likely to yield the best results?
What percentage of sales (or performance) increase could realistically be
expected?
How long would it take: to develop the idea? to get results?
Who would have to be involved?
What date should we start?
What is the first step I should take?
Want to learn
more on this topic? Christine has written six books in 25 language
that cover many of the concepts found here.
You can get your own copy by
clicking here or visiting our eShop.
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