Now wouldn’t it be great if just one style of communication or one type of sales pitch worked for all your clients?
But we know it won’t.
To give yourself the best chance of success it’s useful to know how to handle different customer personality types.
So you can talk to them in the way they process information and make buying decisions.
Knowing this will improve customer satisfaction, it will increase your sales, your profit and your brand reputation.
In total, there are four different personality types of customers.
The Analytical, the Relator, the Socialiser and the Director.
With practice, it is possible to assess the personality type you are dealing with.
Especially if you pay particular attention to their gestures, their tone of voice and the words they use.
So let’s look at their different attributes, how to recognise them and how to sell to them.
The Analytical …
The Analytical type of customer is highly focused on details.
She thinks quality over quantity.
She has very high standards, both professionally and personally.
She’s a perfectionist.
Also known to be moody, critical, and have a negative attitude.
She likes to analyse and plan.
To take as much time as she needs to gather all the facts.
Don’t try and rush her into making a decision before she’s ready.
Or you will lose her.
She also has the tendency to ask a lot of questions.
And she’s known to have poor listening skills.
Don’t let this put you off.
The way to an Analytical’s heart is by responding to all of her enquiries
She values data, details, and honesty.
Just be prepared for a long sales process.
To move her forward you will need to try and keep her off the details, and avoid putting too much pressure on her.
Analytical people shine when they’re able to critically examine an issue and come up with a solution.
Knowing how to handle different customer personality types will prepare you for this situation.
Analyticals are attracted to careers in law and accounting.
The Relator …
The Relator is sociable.
She likes to engage in small talk.
She seeks out and invests in personal relationships.
So building rapport with a Relator should be your top priority.
Then position yourself as an expert in your field.
She’s known as being a good listener.
Probably she will ask personal questions in an attempt to get to know you outside of your professional role.
Being treated as someone special is important to her.
So you’re going to have to handle her more like family than a business partner.
Just like you wouldn’t let down a friend, make sure you don’t let down your Relator.
If you make a commitment, make sure you follow through.
The Relator tends to prefer a step-by-step approach to absorb information
Rather than a data dump, so it’s important to present to her in that way.
Be careful not to give her too many choices.
Because she is known for taking ages to reach a decision and this will delay the process even more.
When you sell to a Relator you want to pitch a vision.
Paint a picture of how her life will look after going through your program.
She will be impressed by proven guaranteed results.
And glowing recommendations from your customers.
So give her some case studies of people you’ve worked with.
And the personal satisfaction they’ve achieved through the use of your products and services.
A money-back guarantee and ongoing support will give her the confidence she needs to move forward.
That will give her the assurance she needs that you will always be there if she needs you.
The professions that Relators are attracted to are coaching, teaching, managing, supervising, caregiving.
The Socialiser …
Just like the Relator, the Socialiser is outgoing, charismatic, persuasive and ambitious.
Highly energetic and talkative.
She has a great sense of humour and loves being the centre of attention.
The Socialiser speaks with confidence.
She can be highly imaginative and extremely emotional.
However, she tends to be undisciplined and can easily lose focus on her goals.
Although quite responsive during conversations, her thoughts can drift.
That’s because her attention span is short.
She finds it hard to concentrate on one thing for longer than a few minutes.
The best way to sell to Socialisers is to focus on the benefits
Don’t waste time on data.
She prefers real-life examples, visual aids and a personalised approach.
Similar to the Relator type of personality, you want to aim at building long-term trust-based partnerships with the Socialiser.
She is impressed with social proof.
So show and tell her what you have done that has worked for others.
Feel free to express your thoughts and feelings, and to offer your advice.
She will be receptive.
Also, allow her to express herself fully.
Don’t interrupt or stop her if she feels the need to blow off steam.
A friendly approach always works with the Socialiser.
But be prepared for a high level of energy!
Socialisers tend to work as real estate agents, hotel and restaurant managers, fundraisers, and in public relations.
The Director …
The Director personality knows what she wants.
And when she wants it.
She can come across as demanding and intimidating.
Her time is precious.
So when dealing with this type of personality you want to cut to the chase.
Forget about building rapport as she has no interest in engaging in small talk.
The Director is looking to get the facts clearly and immediately
Give her just the right amount of information she needs to make her decision.
The Director type tends to be a predominantly enterprising individual.
This means she is usually a natural leader who thrives at influencing and persuading others.
She also tends to be artistic, creative.
Most likely she’s an entrepreneur, a business leader, a sales professional or the like.
Competitive by nature, she strives to be the best.
She can make up her mind rapidly.
Eeven when forced to make difficult, life-changing decisions.
That’s why you have to cut out the fluff when you present to one of these people.
Get straight to the point.
And don’t be surprised if she gets sold quickly.
Make sure you pay attention to any buying signals.
Do not ramble on.
Or you could very likely talk yourself out of a sale.
Conclusion …
Keep in mind that you probably won’t meet a lot of customers that perfectly fit one of the 4 Customer Different Personality Types mentioned here.
Most people are a mix of two or more.
But one tends to be dominant.
The best strategy is to get to know these four core types of customers.
So you can recognise the customer you’re dealing with.
By knowing how to handle different customer personality types you can then adjust your communication strategy to suit their prefered style.