Getting More Out of Life June 2009

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Sales and Personality Type: How Type Influences Buying Decisions

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

-Unknown

I've often spoken about the importance of Personality Type

Profiling in both business and private settings. Knowing what

moves and motivates you(rself), and knowing what moves

and motivates another are hugely powerful tools for

understanding and ethically influencing your environment.

Today, I'd like to discuss the importance of Personality Type

when it comes to sales and marketing, and to "buying".

Whether you are on the selling side or the buying side of the

equation, you must realise that selling and buying are both

based around emotions, around our needs and desires.

Selling is simply this: identifying a gap/need/desire in the

experience of your prospect (they want something that they don't

have yet), providing a solution to fill this

gap/need/desire, and educating the prospect on the benefits of

purchasing that solution, so they warm up to it and buy it.

That's it. one of my mentors said: you NEVER sell anything,

really. You can only make people buy. And it's true. If I don't

resonate emotionally with what the salesperson is

offering, I will not buy, and v.v.

Buying is simply this: identifying a gap/need/desire in

yourself, searching for a solution that fills that

gap/need/desire, and purchasing that solution based on the

perceived benefits it will have.

Again, that's it. We buy because we think the product we

consider will do something to or for us that will help us solve

a problem, fill a gap, or fulfil a desire. Ultimately,

this is an emotional process; or, if you don't like that word:

it has to do with us wanting to feel good.

The AusIDentities Personality Type Profiling System

identifies

Four distinct personality types: the Dolphin, the Eagle, the

Kangaroo and the Wombat. In sales (and for your

buying decisions) it is absolutely critical to know your own

type and those of your prospects. If you don't approach them the

right way, they will probably not buy! Perhaps it's

not that paramount when it comes to buying a bottle of water or

a sandwich, but it's definitely the case when it comes to bigger

or more important purchases. You want to get

clear on the needs and desires of your prospects/family

members/friends, because you can then ethically influence them

and make them choose an option that is both good for them

AND you!

In sales you will have to be able to see the world from your

prospect's perspective. Remember: "sales" could also be

mentioning to your wife you want to go and see a football

match, for which in return you will take her out on Friday!! Or

persuading your children to go on a 4 star hotel holiday instead

of a camping trip by choosing the hotel with the

biggest pool on the planet! To graps your "prospect's"

perspective properly, you will will have to dig in their minds.

The right way to do this is by ASKING QUESTIONS.

Each of the four AusIDentities Personality Types are sensitive

to different kinds of questions. let's create some clarity on

what type of questions work best for what type:

The Eagle (or NT, in the Myers-Briggs typology) on combination of WHAT and WHY questions. Examples:

1. why is it so important for you to......?
2. what specifically would you like to see in .......?
3. why will.....be beneficial for you?
4. what research have you done into.....and what were the outcomes?

The Dolphin, (or NF) will be more partial to a combination of WHO and WHY questions. Examples:

1. Who is going to be pleased when you .....?
2. why is .... so important to you and the people around you?
3. who is you are thinking of when you.......?
4. why will your experience be different when you......?

The Kangaroo (or SP) will be focused on a combination of WHAT and HOW questions. Examples:

1. what will ..... allow you to do faster?
2. how can you use.....to create even more powerful results?
3. what other methods have your tried to ......?
4. how did you compare your current experience with your future experience once you have ......?

The Wombat (or SJ), ultimately, is sensitive to a combination of HOW and WHAT questions (note the order difference with the Kangaroo). Examples:

1. how can .... make your experience more pleasurable?
2. what exactly do you expect from .....?
3. how do you think we can make.... an even better product for you?
4. what needs to happen for you to consider.....?

Again, these and similar questions can be used to get people to

make buying decisions in business, but are as easily applicable

to family and other relations, child raising

issues, employment issues, conflict resolution, and other

interpersonal problems and challenges. It all boils down to

understanding the deeper needs and desires of yourself and

others, so you can relate to yourself and others on an emotional

-feeling- level.

Set a Landmarc:

Firstly, from now on, whenever you make a buying decision on

more substantial goods and/or services (house, car, audio/video

equipment, investments etc.) ask yourself: why do I

want to purchase this? What feeling will it give me once I have

it? The more you know for what sort of emotional feeling you buy

things, the more aware you will become in other

areas of your life (they usually reflect the same values).

Secondly, from now on, whenever you want to make someone accept

your opinion, assess what reasoning you use towards the other

parties. What emotions are you trying to get across

to the other parties, so they will accept what you want.

Thirdly, study personality types extensively so you can

understand on an even deeper level what drives you and others.

This will allow you to become very influential, honouring

all parties' wishes and desires. There are several options

available for further study.

Lastly, commit to sales and marketing, both in personal and

professional selling. Although both words are usually applied to

business and the selling of goods and services,

EVERYTHING in life has to do with selling and marketing. Just

think of the hotel vs camping idea: you will have to SELL the 4

star hotel to the family, and MARKET it properly,

so it will be preferred over a camping holiday. You even have to

sell the idea of having to do grocery shopping to your kids, by

offering them a donut or a ride on the merry-go

-round after. Only THEN will they be SOLD on the idea!

If you really want to increase sales in your business or

fulfilment in your personal life by 300% or more, a thorough

knowledge of personality types is crucial. Understanding

yourself and others will make for massively accelerated success

in all areas of life; that's my personal promise.