Selling- Understanding Your Audience
DECISION MAKERS: 4 PERSONALITY TYPES
THE ASSERTIVE
WHO ARE THEY
Assertive personality types are goal-oriented, decisive, and competitive. They care more about results than personal relationships and care deeply about the bottom line.
You'll maintain a healthy business relationship if you deliver on your commitments.
People with assertive personality types are also relatively impatient and controlling. They want information — fast — to make a decision and move on.
HOW TO SPOT THEM:
You're probably dealing with an Assertive personality type. "Assertives" speak in declarative sentences and ask a few questions. So if you notice, the buyers say things like, "I'm looking for a new Rye Whisky," rather than, "Can you show me your Rye Whiskies?"
HOW TO SELL TO THEM
- Always make sure you are overly prepared for a meeting and never bullshit them. Tell them you will get back to them if you don't know the answer.
- They appreciate efficiency. Don't waste their time repeating facts or building up to your point.
- Emphasize how your product will solve their business problems. Cutting-edge features won't impress them unless you can demonstrate why they will be helpful to their organization.
- Please take advantage of their competitive streak and show them how your product 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.
- Keep your statements short and to the point.
THE AMIABLE
WHO THEY ARE
- They value personal relationships and trust their business partners.
- They will enthusiastically dive into finding creative or unexpected solutions.
- They don't make decisions quickly, and building a rapport with you is essential, so multiple visits will be necessary before they purchase. They will also likely seek the help or approval of numerous team members, so make sure to bond with the entire team, not just the buyer.
HOW TO SPOT THEM:
They are great listeners and might ask more personal questions to get to know you outside your professional role.
They will be friendly, calm, and patient during meetings; conversations 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 product or service.
- Take time to build rapport. An Amiable 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 product. Flesh out the story — why did client X buy the product? What tipped them toward your product? What are they currently doing with the product that has succeeded, i.e., cocktails and signature serve? Details like these are convincing for Amiable.
- Take the role of an expert and walk them through the decision-making process. Instead of overwhelming an amiable with information, help them through the process and act as an advisor.
- Give them personal guarantees. Since they are risk-averse, promising them you will do what it takes to support them and help them sell the product is essential. i.e., Account support, brand dinners, etc.
A great phrase you can use to bond with this buyer: I Bet You're a Bit Like Me This set of words can help anybody agree to just about anything. It is even more potent in a conversation with a stranger than with somebody you already know.
1) Prefacing a statement with the Words, "I bet you're a bit like me," often results in the other person agreeing with what you are saying, providing that you are reasonable.
2) This statement also lets you share your own experience as a buyer or a decision-maker so that they now know you understand what it is like to be on the other side of the bar.
2)It also provides a beautiful tool to help gather evidence to build your last recommendations. Getting them to provide evidence that supports your objective makes it harder for them to disagree with you.
I.E., Imagine you are worried they will reject your product because they already carry a competitor's brand, which is less expensive. Early in the conversation, you could say something like... I bet you're a bit like me. When I was the beverage director, I was under pressure to keep all of the cocktails at a specific pour cost but then, every once in a while, a brand that I loved that was a bit out of reach would come along. Still, I had to have, so it would force me to see what other cocktails I needed to change, or in some cases, I would raise the price of the drink; it always took a little effort, but I would always come up with a better menu at the end.
I bet you're a bit like me: you're a busy person who constantly juggles getting everything done. The great thing about being a Brand Ambassador and a former bartender is that I can now lend a hand to multiple accounts, create cocktail menus, and train their staff. Slip those statements into early conversations while holding eye contact with the other person, and watch them nod back at you. When they do, this means they know that you know they agree with those concepts. This makes it much harder for them to tell you they have not got the time to do what you demonstrated and could give them the things they said they wanted.
EXPRESSIVES
WHO ARE THEY
- Expressives are also sometimes called "humanists" for a good reason — like Amiables, personal relationships are critical to this personality type.
- Expressionists tend to make decisions factoring in their emotions. Whether their employees or customers, they want to know how their choices affect the people around them.
- They are creative, outgoing, and spontaneous and rely on intuition.
- They value mutual respect, loyalty, and friendship.
- Don't make offhand commitments — reneging on an offer could spell the end of your relationship.
HOW TO SPOT THEM
They tend to be very enthusiastic and colorful. Like Amiable's, they'll want to bond with you and feel connected personally, but like Assertive's, Expressive's are sure of their beliefs and speak more in statements rather than questions.
HOW TO SELL THEM
- Present case studies. Expressives want to be reassured that you're looking out for them, and what better way to prove your track record than to show stories of how your brand impacted other accounts?
- Emphasize an ongoing relationship. If your company offers exceptional customer service or maintains long-term partnerships with its clients, it is time to shout it from the rooftops.
- Don't focus too much on facts and figures. Data is essential, but an expressive will ultimately want to know how their buying decision affects their business on a human level.
- Summarize along the way. You want to get their buy-in continually, so ask questions like, "So, we agree that you will bring in the 4-year-old and use it in your signature cocktail.
ANALYTICS
WHO ARE THEY
- They love data, facts, and figures. As no-nonsense, people will look past a flowery pitch and get straight to the point.
- Be prepared to field many detailed questions, and don't be surprised if it seems like an analytical prospect already knows you — they will research you and your business before the meeting.
- They stick to their deadlines, but they do not make decisions quickly.
- They care about thoroughly vetting and understanding the options available and won't jump the gun on a decision.
- They are more logical and cautious than any other personality type but won't reverse it once they decide.
HOW TO SPOT THEM
Analytics are less expressive than other personality types. They are concerned with facts rather than emotion and likely won't spend time getting to know you personally.
HOW TO SELL TO THEM
- Never rush an Analytic. Be prepared for a longer selling process, as Analytics 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 discussing basic features and more discussing custom, personalized solutions for their business.
- Avoid making high-level claims. Always provide data when you make an assertion or risk losing credibility.
- Provide as much detailed information as possible. You can offer more information than they ask for without risking them becoming overwhelmed; they'll probably welcome it. Instead of saying, "Our Rum has been very successful, and sales have continued to rise each year," say, "Out sales have increased by 50%, and this year we sold 5,000 more cases, and the cocktail that drove that success was the Daiquiri." etc.
Don't try to force a relationship that's not there. Analytics might become annoyed by those they feel are overly flattering or obsequious.
