Are You On The Same "Wave-Length" As Your Prospect?

Have you ever wondered why you hit it off with some people immediately, while with others it’s like oil and water?

For example, have you noticed how some people we meet, enjoy a fast pace of life? They speak quickly, they move quickly, they think quickly and they make decisions quickly. While there are other people we meet who like to move more slowly. They take their time, they don't hurry, they speak slower, they move a little slower, they think a little slower, and often they make decisions more slowly.

Why do people communicate so differently?

What makes these two people so different? It’s their style of communicating, and the way in which they process the world?

Think for a moment.

Would these two people make buying decisions differently?

And would they negotiate differently? Of course they would. And would you need to sell to them differently? The answer of course is YES!

What would happen if as a sales person you tried to move fast with a person who prefers to move slowly? Wouldn't that person feel pressured? Indeed, they would. They would find this style of sales person, "high pressure". What would happen to rapport? What would happen to the level of trust? That’s right…

Trust and Rapport would be diminished.

Not good for closing the sale

The good news is that behavioural psychologists have discovered that there are some pretty simple ways of identifying a person's style of communicating, and thus their way of thinking, which if understood can assist us tremendously in selling and in our negotiations.

Frankly this is not new but it is important.

For thousands of years, man has being trying to figure out what makes one person think and behave in a particular manner, while another person thinks and behaves in a totally different manner.

Hypocrites spoke about 4 temperaments and called them "The Melancholy", "The Phlegmatic", "The Sanguine" and "The Choleric".

In 1923, Dr Carl Jung published a book called, "Psychological Types" where he identified again, 4 distinct styles or types. He called them "The Intuitor" , "The Thinker", "The Feeler" and "The Sensor".

In more recent times we heard from Dr David Merril, Wilson Learning, Perfomax, Integra, Integro and my friends from Southern California, Dr Tony Alessandra and Jim Cathcart. I used to bring Jim and Tony to Australia in the 1980's to present their seminars where they spoke about.... you guessed it, 4 styles of people.

Jim and Tony called them, "The Socializer", "The Director", "The Thinker" and "The Relater". Terms that I really prefer, as they are more common words in our English language, but all of these names refer to the same four basic styles.

So are there really only 4 styles of people on the planet?

Of course not! There are an infinite number, but what all of these people are saying, is that all of these styles can be classified into 4 basic styles, with common characteristics.
So do you need to be a psychologist to understand this?

Well I used to think so, because when I first came across this concept more than 20 years ago, the way it was explained to me was so complex, that I didn't fully understand it, and as a consequence, I couldn't remember it or use it.

We now offer an on-line workshop on selling and negotiating with these different styles of people.
So how can we work out what style a person is and how will that help us?

It's simple when you know how. You simply look for "cues" and then sell or negotiate with the person in the style and manner which they prefer. So how do we work out what type of person we are dealing with. Here are a few ways to tell.

1. Observe their pace of speaking and thinking and ask yourself...
2. Are they direct or in-direct in their style of communication?
3. Are they relationship oriented or task oriented?
4. What does their office look like? Each style of person's office is different.
5. What type of car to they drive? Their choice of vehicle does reflect their personality type.
6. What type of clothing do they wear? Different styles prefer different styles of clothing.

And so the list goes on. Their hair style, their grooming, their jewellery (or lack of it), their accessories, the type of career they have chosen all offer clues as to their style. Once you've worked that out, then you will know how to "handle" them for the best possible outcome, because...

You need to sell and negotiate with each type of person differently.

The other important thing to realise and understand fully is...

What is your predominant behavioural style?

Are you a Socializer, a Director, a Thinker or a Relater? It doesn't really matter which one you are because they all have their strengths and weaknesses, however it is important to know, because depending on what your predominant style is, you'll get along with some people better than others.

The real key to success in life of course, is knowing how to get along with everyone.

Understanding the science of "behavioural styles" will help you to achieve this. It will help you in your personal relationships too. I've seen TOP GUN® Graduates double their sales after understanding and applying what they learned in just 4 hours with me on this subject. It's well worth looking into.

Have a great week. Make it a great week!

Wayne Berry


Are You On The Same "Wave-Length" As Your Prospect? - To learn more about this author, visit Wayne Berry's Website.

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