The Power in Personality

I love studying the nuances of personality — it’s always interested me, and even more so as a sales professional.

For years, I studied personality and personality types from Florence Littauer to Charles Clarke, and for the last 7 of those years, I have trained others in the particulars of Personality based on Sherry Buffington’s work called C.O.R.E, which stands for Commander, Organizer, Relater and Entertainer — by the way, there are actually 5 Personality types, and the fifth one is “Crazy.” :-).

The real reason personality is so important in Sales is because we naturally sell people who are like us — and by “like us,” I simply mean those who are similar in personality. These people buy from us because they like us and we like them. 

You Can Use Personalities to Identify, Connect, Sell, and Close

So, the primary goal in recognizing and understanding personality types is to learn how to connect and sell to people we are not like. Once we connect, we can help them truly own our product. Your sales can literally double once you learn to Identify, Connect, Sell and Close people who are not like you.

We can identify people by their dress, handshake, their body language, and the words they use. All of these clues help us speak their language and sell to them in a manner that is comfortable to them. In turn, we learn to connect more quickly, which makes the buyer more trusting of you as their sales professional, and naturally results in the sales coming easier.

C.O.R.E. Personalities

Here are some personality descriptions (based off the C.O.R.E. group that I briefly mentioned above) that will help you connect and have more success in life, whether you’re with prospects or with family and friends.

1. The Commander: Firm handshake, direct, no small talk, controlling, short questions, expects quick answers. Dresses however they please. Comes off cold. They lead.
2. The Organizer: Distant handshake, don’t know you or trust you yet and are concerned with germs. Dress is put together and very well-matched. Uses precise words, they correct you, very detailed questions. If at home they re-load the dishwasher before pushing start.
3. The Relater: Prefer to hug rather than shake. Love people, shy, and like to be led. Tend to care about people they have never met.  Pick careers where they can serve, help and rescue others. Hate conflict, prefer not to negotiate. Won’t buy unless they connect with you and trust you.  Dress is very relaxed and casual, bland and muted colors. Doesn’t want to be noticed or make a scene.
4. The Entertainer: Dresses in bright colors, very flashy, wants to be seen. Handshake may be a pump, added touch to shoulder or shake with a pat on top of the hand. Talks fast and too much. Thinks everything they have to say is interesting. They interrupt you before you finish your sentence or thought. Scattered, always late, difficulty focusing.

So, how do we use this information to help us sell more?

When selling a...

1. Commander: Let them lead, and be sure you answer quickly and succinctly.  They ask, you answer, they buy, you don’t sell. They respect people like them, so act like them. They connect with people who are smart, quick on their feet, know what they are selling, and are not intimidated by their bold and brash behavior. Direct-question close works best.
2. Organizer: Know your product inside and out. Make notes if you don’t know the answers, talk in very detailed language, and expect to feel stupid. They will know more about your product from their research than you will. Be prepared to give them as much detailed literature as you can and send them detailed emails with lots of attachments for them to read and study. Cost of ownership close.
3. Relater: Lead them, don’t be pushy, take time with them. Connect first and get to know them personally.  Help them make the decision, give them an out clause, and remove all pressure or they will cancel anyway.  Expect that they may snap from time to time. When under pressure this gentle soul snaps — it is totally unexpected, but they will apologize later. The Step Process close works best.
4. Entertainer: Make it all about them, and learn to ask questions so you can get back in control.   Help them focus. They may need special financing due to love of buying and often being overextended. Remember, they are emotional and touchy-feely so be sure to get them excited about owning your product. It’s all about how what you are selling will make them feel as a result of owning what you are selling. The Pride of Ownership close.

As you can see there is immense Power in Personality, and understanding it more fully can help us in our relationships at home, with our children, our co-workers, bosses,  friends, and of course, prospects.

- Mar'Sue