Recognize the 4 Personality Types to Improve Sales

Improve Sales and Customer Satisfaction by Selling to Their Personalities

by Terry Stidham

You or your reps. are good at identifying and finding prospects, making initial contacts, performing a needs analysis, developing solutions, giving presentations, handling objections and closing sales.

Most likely there can be some dramatic improvements on close rates and customer satisfaction by identifying and addressing the different personalities that are encountered.

We all know that people like to buy from people that are like them or understands them.

No one person is ever totally one personality type. We are all mixtures. People operate primarily in one of 4 types.

4 Personality Types and the Associated Characteristics:

Analytical:

• Likes facts and detail
• Money and numbers oriented
• Wants to know "bottom-line"
• Works best independently
• Very neat and organized
• Stickler for timeliness
• Not much of a risk taker

Driver:

• Gets right to the point
• Limited on time
• Always busy
• Wants immediate results
• Risk taker
• Likes multiple choices
• Needs to have the power
• Works best independently
• Focuses on positives 

Amiable:

• Likes to build relationships
• Friendly and likable
• Traditional attitudes
• Not a risk taker
• Needs support of other people
• Makes careful decisions
• Somewhat "wishy-washy"
• Less time-oriented

Expressive:

• Dreamer
• Uses hunches to make decisions
• Needs to be with people
• Makes quick decisions
• Likes to plan
• Takes risks
• Focuses on generalities
• Less time-oriented

How can you identify these personalities on a sales call?

Analytical & Amiable:

• Ask a lot of questions
• Speak softly
• Move slowly
• Not much direct eye contact
• Leans back in chair
• No hand gestures
• Patient
• Cooperative
• Calm

Driver & Expressive:

• Tell you things
• Speak loudly
• Fast movements
• Direct eye contact
• Lean toward you
• Animated hand gestures
• Impatient
• Competitive
• Excitable
• Enthusiastic
• Outwardly positive

Analyticals and Drivers are less responsive so you will notice:

• Serious attitude
• Very few facial expressions
• Formal approach
• Heavy time-orientation
• Will not touch you
• No chit-chat
• Direct conversation
• Rigid, calculated movements

Amiables and Expressives tend to be more responsive, so you will notice:

• More personal questions
• Warm, friendly approach
• Animated expressions
• Changes in tone and pitch
• Will try to build close relationship
• May touch you
• Chatty
• Many hand gestures
• Fluid movements

Begin studying the people in your life to determine their personality type. Take notes and compare them to the characteristics listed.

 

Working with each personality type:

Analytical:

• Let them feel they are right
• Give them facts first
• Stress rational, logical reasons for buying
• Observe time constraints
• Compliment them regularly
• Give quick, precise answers
• Use a direct close

Driver:

• Dress professionally
• Get right to the point
• Do not waste time
• Stress quick results
• Ask questions to force attention
• Change voice inflection to maintain interest
• Put everything in writing
• Let them feel they are in control
• Summarize key benefits before closing
• Use 2 or 3 option close

Amiable:

• Be friendly and build rapport quickly
• Don't rush into the presentation
• Don't pressure them
• Allow for plenty of time for conversation
• Stress emotional benefits
• Reassure them regularly
• Allow them to include others in decisions
• Give them one positive choice
• Help them make the decision

Expressive:

• Present the "big picture"
• Use emotional benefits
• Show them proofs -- testimonials, articles, etc.
• Recognize them as being important
• Put details in writing and explain carefully
• Use a direct close and reassure them of their decision

Recognizing personality types and being capable of working with them at their level will improve results dramatically and make selling more enjoyable.