Let’s face it, we all have difficult customers to whom we are required to sell. From the demanding, abrasive buyer to the individual who never seems to decide, we encounter challenging people regularly. Part of the reason this happens is due to personality conflict. This article will look at the four key personality types and how to improve your results with each.
Direct Donna
Donna’s name says it all. She tends to be forceful and always wants to dominate or control the sales call. Her behavior is aggressive: she points at you while she talks, interrupts you with challenges, and she seldom cares about the details of your new product or service. Instead, she demands that you “cut to the chase” and “tell me the bottom line.” Donna is very results-focused and goal-oriented, and hates wasting time.
To achieve the best sales results with Donna, be more direct and assertive. Tell her at the beginning of the sales call or meeting that you know how busy she is and how valuable her time is. Tell her that you will “get right to the point” and focus your conversation on the results she will achieve by using your product or service. Resist the temptation to back down if she confronts you, because doing so will lose her respect. With Donna, it’s not personal, it’s just business.
Lastly, be direct in asking for her business—you don’t have to dance around the issue.
Talkative Tim
Tim is a gregarious and outgoing person who is very ego-centric. He is often late for your meetings and his constant interruptions and long stories cause your sales calls to go beyond their scheduled time. He appears to greatly enjoy the sound of his own voice, which frustrates you because you don’t always get enough time to discuss your solution.
Relationships are very important to Talkative Tim, so invest more time in social conversation. Even if you don’t see the point in chit-chat, he will appreciate the gesture and will like you more. Tim often makes buying decisions based on intuition and how he feels about the salesperson.
Be careful not to challenge Tim, because he will feel rejected and will likely shut down and become unresponsive. During your sales presentation, tell him how good your solution will make him look to others in the company or how his status or image will improve. In other words, appeal to his ego.
Steady Eddie
Soft-spoken, Eddie is a “nice” fellow who seems more focused on his team and coworkers than on his personal results. He is very quiet compared to some of your other prospects and can be difficult to read. Most frustrating is his reluctance to make a buying decision. Eddie’s mantra seems to be “I’m still thinking about it, but thanks for following up.”
Structure and security are important to Eddie, as it is difficult for him to make changes. He often contemplates how the decision will affect other people within the organization. That means you need to slow down the sales process, demonstrate how your solution will benefit the team, and remove as much risk from the decision-making process as possible. Soften your voice and make sure your sales presentation flows in a logical manner. Use words like “fair,” “logical,” and “your team” in your presentation.
Analytical Alice
She reads every point and specification about your product or service and, regardless of how much information you give her, Alice always wants more, including written guarantees and back up documentation. She is difficult to read and it is extremely hard to get her engaged in an open conversation, because personal feelings and emotions do not enter the picture when Alice makes a decision.
Whenever possible, give Alice a written, bullet-point agenda of your meeting beforehand. Ideally, email it to her a few days in advance so she can prepare herself. Make sure it is completely free of typos, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. When you meet, follow the agenda in perfect order and, if you make any type of claim, have supporting documentation available for her to read.
While the different approaches necessary for each personality type may not make sense to you or seem completely rational, it is critical to recognize that your natural or instinctive approach may not be the best way to get results with someone else. Modifying your approach and style, even briefly, will help you better connect with your customers and prospects, which will ultimately better your bottom line.