by learning to view scenarios through the clients’ perspectives. Too often,
sellers are perceived to have placed their own interests above those of their
clients. Through the personality sensitive TEAM Dynamics approach, clients
are assured that their core needs and comfort levels are understood. This
approach assures the improvement of existing relationships and a sound
footing for developing new relationships.
At the very center of a client’s actions and reactions is the core person-
ality that drives behavior and communication. Once you have discovered
the personality orientation of your client, you can choose a communication
path that leads to clarity, understanding, and teamwork.
The classic mistake that many sales professionals make is to assume that
every client will automatically plug in to their style of communication. They
won’t. This leads to communication breakdown and the disintegration of
trust, which is at the heart of the buyer/seller relationship.
In this chapter, we explore the subtle adjustments that are necessary
with each personality style to improve the quality of our communication
with clients. Think of it as personality politeness—learning to use words or
phrases that fit the emotional comfort zone of the client.
Each personality style is profiled regarding the communication approach
they are most comfortable with, including the type of presentation they pre-
fer. Also profiled are the likes, dislikes, risk tolerance, and challenges of
communicating with each personality.
My organization has surveyed hundreds of members of each personal-
ity group and asked the question, “When in a sales situation, how do you
like to be approached?” Their varied answers on the following pages reveal
in insightful detail the diversity of persuasion needs for each personality
style. A strong correlation exists between a client’s personality style and the
appropriate sales approach. For example, two of the personalities are risk-
averse by nature—Togetherness and Analyzer—and two are comfortable
with risk—Enterpriser and Motivator.
The changes you make in your communication approach, though sim-
ple in nature, will be profound in effect, because they will help your clients
to be comfortable with the information and ideas you are sharing. Some
readers find that they have already been making these adjustments with
people on an intuitive level, and the following information will affirm those
communication strategies.
CRITICAL SELLING ADJUSTMENTS
Let’s take a look at some of the critical selling adjustments (in Figure
19.1) you want to make with the Togetherness style. Remember to go slowly
Shifting Gears / Four Critical Selling Adjustments 165