Four Personality Types

Critical to the sellers success is how they can tailor their delivery to match the buyers personality type.

I have taken this opportunity to look at the four personality types most widely accepted.  This post will look at each of the four personality types in turn and offer some guidance and tips on how to manage each.

1. Dominant

Dominant personality types are goal-oriented, decisive, and competitive. They care more about results than personal relationships. They might not send you a holiday card, but if you deliver on your commitments, you’ll maintain a healthy business relationship. Dominants care deeply about the bottom line.

People with dominant personality types are also relatively impatient and controlling. They want information — fast — so they can make a decision and move on.

Dominant personality traits:

Dominants usually speak in declarative sentences and ask few questions, so if you notice your prospect says things like, “I’m looking for a new system,” you’re probably dealing with an Dominant personality type.

Their volume is also a little louder than average, and they use animated, confident body language.

How to sell to them:

• Professionalism is always important, but especially so when it comes to dominants. Always make sure you’re prepared for a meeting. If you don’t know the answer to a question, let them know you’ll follow up instead.
• Dominants appreciate efficiency. Don’t waste their time repeating facts or building up to your point — cut to the chase.
• Emphasize how your solution will solve their business’ problems. Cutting-edge features won’t impress unless you can demonstrate why they will be useful to their organization.
• Take advantage of their competitive streak and show them how your solution will help their company compete with others in their industry.
• Steer clear of personal opinions and testimonials. If you’re citing a successful customer, talk about the ROI they saw rather than how much they loved the product.
• Since dominant aren’t great listeners, keep your statements short and to the point.

2. Warm

People with warm personality types value personal relationships and want to trust their business partners. They like the excitement of new challenges. Warms will enthusiastically dive into finding creative or unexpected solutions — but on the flip side, they probably won’t do a ton of research before meeting with you. That means you can guide them through the purchasing process.

Unlike dominants, Warms don’t make decisions quickly. They want to establish rapport with the people they do business with and will likely seek out the help or approval of multiple team members. Expect a longer sales process than usual.

Warm personality traits:

Warms are great listeners and might ask more personal questions. They will be friendly, calm, and patient during meetings. Conversations with warms are generally laid-back and informal.

How to sell to them:

• Pitch a vision. Help them visualize the outcomes their business could achieve with the help of your solution.
• Take time to build rapport. Warms will need to feel safe in their relationship with your company before they’ll be comfortable doing business with you.
• Bring up examples of similar clients who have successfully used your solutions
• Take the role of an expert and walk them through the decision making process. Instead of overwhelming a warm with information, help them through the process and act as an advisor.
• Give them personal guarantees. Since warms are risk-averse, promising them your company will refund their purchase if they’re not satisfied or they can cancel at any time will calm their anxieties and make them likelier to buy.

3. Hostile

Hostiles are not concerned with others’ well-being. Hostiles often have powerful personalities and use them to convince others of their strongly held convictions.

Hostiles can be creative, outgoing, domineering and resistant. They value mutual respect, loyalty, and friendship. Don’t make offhand commitments to hostiles — reneging on an offer could spell the end of your relationship?

Hostile personality traits:

Hostiles are sure of their beliefs and speak more in statements rather than questions.

How to sell to them:

• Present case studies. Hostiles want to be reassured that you’re looking out for them and like to have supporting evidence
• If your company offers exceptional customer service or maintains long-term partnerships with its clients, now is the time to shout it from the rooftops.
• Focus too much on facts and figures. Data is important.
• Hostiles do not accommodate fools. Always be well prepared

4. Submissive

Those with a submissive personality type love data, facts, and figures. As no-nonsense people, they’ll look past a flowery pitch and get straight to the facts. Be prepared to field a lot of detailed questions possible at arm’s length prior to any face to face meeting.

Submissives stick to their deadlines, but they do not make decisions quickly. They care about thoroughly vetting and understanding the options available to them, and won’t jump the gun on a decision. They are more logical and cautious than any other personality type — but once they make a decision, they won’t reverse it

Submissive personality traits:

Submissives are concerned with facts rather than emotion, and won’t spend time getting to know you on a personal level. In conversation, submissives are serious, direct, and formal and often like to be dealt with at arm’s length.

How to sell to them:

• Never rush a Submissive. Be prepared for a longer selling process, as submissives will take as much time as they need to gather all the facts they feel are necessary to make a decision.
• Assume they are prepared and have done their research. This doesn’t mean you should skip over introductory information, but you can expect to spend less time talking basic features.
• Avoid making high-level claims. Always provide data when you make an assertion, or risk losing credibility. Overhyping your product might make submissives suspicious that you’re using flowery language to mask flaws.
• Provide as much detailed information as possible. Instead of saying “Our product drives growth for many companies,” say, “Our product increased sales in 13 Fortune 500 companies by 25% or more year-over-year.” You can offer more information than they ask for without risking them becoming overwhelmed — in fact, they’ll probably welcome it.
• Don’t try to force a relationship that’s not there. submissives might become annoyed by those they feel are overly flattering or obsequious.

Blending the four personality types.

Keep in mind that most prospects will be a mix of these four personality types and won’t fit neatly into one of the four personality types categories above. However, once you’re familiar with these core personalities, you should be able to tailor your selling strategy to fit any situation you come across.

How a ProAptivity can help with managing the four personality types.

ProAptivity are an independent CRM solutions provider. We focus on the implementation, training, and support of highly customised CRM software solutions. Our CRM software supported by our sales training provide customers with the tools needed to deliver successful sales process management. We can deliver bespoke training to help sales teams understand how best to manage the four personality types outlined above.

Fundamentally, we help organisations embed CRM best practice throughout their organisation. This helps organisations become more competitive, customer focused and ultimately more profitable. Become more successful at managing the four personality types, call us today.

If you need help in understanding why my business needs CRM, maybe some of our  eBooks could help! Alternatively visit Maximizer CRM for more information. Contact us today in Belfast on 028 9099 6388 or at our Bedford office on 01234 214004. Alternatively email us on info@proaptivity.com. Contact us today for a free CRM consultation that will assess if your business is CRM ready.

Source: Hubspot