Being able to read people and identify their personality type is an important skill for entrepreneurs and influencers to possess. The sooner you can identify the type of person you are trying to sell to and/or serve, the sooner you will be able to adjust your sales approach and strategy.
No 2 people are alike, and if you don’t adjust your approach to align with a person’s personality type, you could have a difficult time not only closing a sale, but connecting, establishing and maintaining a relationship with prospects.
(Don’t forget to download our Free E-Book HERE on How to Instantly Influence when Connecting with People — Personality Quiz!)
“One size does not fit all. Your prospects are individuals with personalities as varied as their business needs, so a successful salesperson needs the ability to sell to different personality types,” Leslie Le on Hubspot.
Which Personality Type are you Serving?
1. The Assertive
This personality type wants a lot of information and are focused on achieving specific goals. Sometimes they can present as aggressive, or arrogant even when they don’t mean to be. They do not like having their time wasted, so get to the point, have a plan, and ensure you highlight why YOU are their best choice.
How to best serve/sell to this personality type;
- Professionalism
- Take advantage of their need for competition
- Assertive – cut to the chase with honesty
2. The Amiable
This personality type values honesty. They are looking to develop an ongoing, long-term, business relationship, so establishing trust and rapport is imperative. Expect them to take more time to make decisions (and allow them to). They prefer a step by step process rather than you providing everything up front.
Communicate how your product or service has helped others and provide testimonials/social proof.
How to best serve/sell to this personality type;
- Take time to build rapport
- Paint the vision for them
- Be the expert, walk them through testimonies of those you know personally
3. The Analytical
This personality type focuses on the numbers and the data. They will be prepared and will research you just as much as you have researched them. They make decisions based on facts, so playing to their emotions will not work with the analytical buyer. Provide the key benefits, and back up all your claims with facts and stats.
How to best serve/sell to this personality type;
- Assume they’ve done their research
- Be prepared with facts and numbers (avoid hypotheticals)
- Playing to their emotions won’t work here — stick to the research and numbers
4. The Expressive
This personality type can be impulsive and doesn’t like getting caught up in the details. They tend to be open and energetic. They are open to establishing long term partnerships as well. Sell them by offering case studies that demonstrate your product’s testimonies from satisfied buyers/users.
How to best serve/sell to this personality type;
- Provide case studies
- Put an emphasis on a long-term relationship/partnership
- Use a lot of summary and paraphrasing during your conversation
Of course not all people will fit perfectly into these categories, so be aware of their dominant personality type(s) and adjust your strategies to connect with them on that level. While it may take some time to feel people out and get a hold of their personality, it will be well worth it when you establish that connection and ultimately, serve them.
Which personality type do you fall under? Have you found it made a difference in your own purchasing habits?
