SKILL
lyticals can be nitpickers who spend too much time achieving better- than-needed quality on low-priority items – and their desire for order can snowball into inflexibility. To sell to analytical type person- alities, study their needs in a logi- cal, practical manner. Be systematic, exact, organized, and prepared. Document how your product has helped others. List the advantages and disadvantages of buying at this time. Be prepared to answer all their questions. Analyticals are suspicious of anything that looks too good to be true; so, the more numbers you can present, the better off you’ll be. Send a follow-up letter on service and ben- efits and don’t rush your close.
The Four Styles of Selling (Which Are You?)
SELLING POWER EDITORS
Salespeople specialize in relating to people. Using their innate gifts for pacing, adapting, and leading the prospect’s personality, they can often control the selling environment long enough to close the sale.
Almost all salespeople feel more com- fortable selling to certain personality types. There are also selling situations where the salesperson finds it uncom- fortable and impossible to match the prospect’s personality. When this is the case, a smart salesperson can rely on the following personality guide to peg the prospect’s style and decide the proper way to match it for maxi- mum sales effectiveness. The four personality styles listed below provide a good starting point for assessing your prospect’s personal style. Before deciding on the style your customer has, however, find your own and get to know each style’s strengths and weaknesses. Once you become familiar with
6 | MAY/JUNE 2020 SELLING POWER © 2020 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
all four, you’ll be in a good position to use the strengths when you need them. You’ll also be able to downplay your own weaker points – while using the customer’s to your advantage. The skill with which you can use your own and your customers’ styles may deter- mine the close of many future sales.
1) THE ANALYTICAL STYLE Analytical types are logical thinkers. They take a precise, deliberate, and systematic approach to their work. Before acting, they will gather and evaluate a lot of information. Analyti- cals are usually industrious, objective, and well organized. Taken to extremes, though, these strengths become weaknesses. Ana-
2) THE AMIABLE STYLE Amiable types are outstanding when it comes to being empathetic and sensitive to what lies below the sur- face behavior of another person. Their trusting nature can bring out the best in customers, friends, and subordinates. When they carry those traits too
far, though, amiables can be overly conforming and permissive – refusing to challenge policies and actions they know will have a negative impact on their company. Amiables are difficult sells. They dis- like change and therefore like to stick with what they have. Spend a lot of time building rapport with people of this type. Show that you are interest- ed in them as people. Be supportive of their feelings. Offer them your per- sonal assurance of support after the sale. Allay their fears of taking risks by being sympathetic to their feelings and needs. Offer guidance and don’t rush the close – but be definite when you do close.
3) THE EXPRESSIVE STYLE Expressives – those flamboyant, spon- taneous types – are terrific at seeing the “big picture.” They’ll take fresh, novel approaches to problems and will take risks to seize opportunities and realize their dreams. Their ability to
IMAGEFLOW /
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39
