Understanding Social Styles
Understanding Social Styles
This model blends two main components:
1. Assertiveness – the degree that people tend to ask or tell
2. Responsiveness – the degree that people show or control their emotions
The combination of these two tendencies reveals a person’s social style
The Analytical Style (Ask/Assertive) tends to control their emotions and appear re-strained. Their voice conveys objectivity and emulates a ‘reporting style’ because they talk in a monotone that creates a perception of detachment. Their focus is on tasks rather than people and they have a preference for facts and data. They appear reserved that is evident from their body language and slow speaking pace. They often withdraw and go quiet with people who are overly aggressive or emotional. This style is concerned with being organised, having all the facts and being careful before taking action. They need to be accurate and to be right and appear precise, orderly, methodical and conform to standard operating procedures, organisational rules and historical ways of doing things. They have a slow reaction time and are perceived as serious, industrious, persistent, and exacting. Their office will be neat, organised and functional.
When selling to Analyticals:
- Use facts and data to support your claims and provide reassuring proof that your proposal has already achieved proven success with others. This style will appreciate the opportunity of talking with other customers of yours to verify facts and figures, so incorporate this offer into your discussions with them.
- Remain neutral and impassive, because too much enthusiasm will cause your prospect to withdraw.
- Choose your words carefully and speak slowly so that they can evaluate everything you say and be mentally prepared for a slower decision.
- You may want to ask “Does that make sense?” at regular intervals because this checking question will give you the feedback you need as their body language and facial expressions will be hard to read.
- Use a logical sequence when conducting your meetings/presentation and provide them with an outline for the format of the meeting. This gives them a greater sense of security and appeals to their methodical nature.
- Do everything you can to avoid ‘pressurising’ them into making a decision, this will cause them stress and they will consequently withdraw.
The Driving style (Tell/Assertive) tends to remain in control of their emotions yet tends to exert more of their opinions. They speak fast and with volume and can be very direct. This style is results focused and can become impatient with people who take too long making up their mind and frustrated with emotional people. They are into taking action and have a quick reaction time. They will appear to be decisive, independent, disciplined, practical and efficient. Their offices will appear businesslike and they’ll often have certificates and commendations on the wall.
When selling to Drivers:
- Use facts and data so that you can substantiate the claims you make.
- Avoid small talk as this will only iritate them. Get to the point, they will appreciate your directness. Therefore, you’ll need to speak and act quickly with this style. This style appreciates eye contact (it implies directness) and strong gestures.
- If they ask you a question that usually you wouldn’t answer too early in the sales call, (for example responding to questions around price before you have conveyed the value) you must answer this with a direct answer. Any other response will be perceived as a ‘put off’ and frustrate them.
- Because they are comfortable in positions of power and control, you’ll find that they make decisions quickly about your product and service. A great close for this style is “ You know that there is a right way and a wrong way to do anything. The right way to do this is step one (outline at least 2 or 3 steps). Whereabouts are we in the decision making process?”
- If they are put under pressure they may become autocratic. This is great if they are the sole decision maker yet if they haven’t gained support from others who will be effected by your products/services you may experience internal resentment from others at a later stage.
The Amiable Style (Ask/Assertive) tends to portray their emotions and will speak more slowly and with more deliberation. They demonstrate a varied voice tone and can be very sensitive to the needs or reactions of others. This style is driven by relationships and can become upset if there is discord. They appear friendly, supportive, respectful, willing, dependable, and agreeable. Sometimes, they can lose sight of practicality and lose their objectivity if overwhelmed with emotional issues or relationship problems. They need co-operation, personal security and acceptance and feel uncomfortable with and will avoid conflict. Their office will appear ‘homely’ with photos of their family and other personal treasures.
When selling to Amiables:
- Position yourself as a trusted advisor, rapport and relationship will be very important to them. They like to feel that they are helping others and like to feel that they are liked.
- In negotiations they will sometimes agree to a Lose-Win outcome (in your favour) because they will sacrifice their own desires to win approval from others. (Lose-Win outcomes will only create resentment in the longer term)
- They prefer to work with other people in a team effort, rather than individually so proactively suggest that they include other people in the decision making process.
- This style will have an unhurried reaction time and little concern with effecting change or making a quick decision. Therefore, to leverage a decision you’ll need to appeal to why your proposal will be perceived by others in their organisation. This is because they are very people-orientated.
- They will tend to be very open with their feelings about your proposal although if there is something they don’t like, they may find this hard to tell you. That’s why you need to rely on your sensory acuity to assess their real response. If their non-verbal reactions aren’t as you’d expect then ask feeling based questions such as “I’m picking up that you’re not feeling a hundred percent about this. What’s on your mind?”
The Expressive Style (Tell/Assertive) tends to display their emotions and will be articulate with how they express themselves. They speak quickly and appear highly animated in conversation. This style tends to focus on people issues and they often use stories and metaphors to express their opinions. They are often highly spontaneous and can generate high-energy and creative ideas although their enthusiasm can wane if they have to follow-through on their ideas. They enjoy involvement, excitement, and interpersonal action and are sociable, stimulating, enthusiastic and good at involving and motivating others. They are ideas oriented and have little concern for routine and are future oriented. They will be perceived as spontaneous, outgoing, energetic, and friendly as well as excitable, impulsive, undisciplined, dramatic, manipulative, ambitious, overly reactive and egotistical. They will have disorganised offices and may have leisure equipment like golf clubs or tennis racquets lying around.
When selling to Expressives:
- Be prepared with them having a quick reaction time. They may get your point before you having finished making it. So you’ll need to be prepared for interruptions and convey that you feel fine about this. (They have a need to be accepted by others).
- Use opinions and stories rather than facts and data and personalize these by mentioning customer names.
- If they go off track, allow them to do this and they’ll want to see evidence of your interest in what they are saying. Therefore, use lots of active listening, smile to encourage them and use eye contact.
- Their head will often be full of ideas so speak and act quickly; vary your vocal inflection because this helps to maintain their interest.
- Never try to score a point at their expense. This will damage their ego and they’ll feel resentful towards you. Yet they will appreciate anything you can do to make them look good in the eyes of others so be prepared to let them think that your ideas are their ideas!
- If they feel that you are pressurising them, they will resort to making personal attacks, therefore, let them decide the pace for making their decision – it will always tend to be very fast with this style.
The Importance of Behavioual Flexibility
It makes sense that the more flexible a sales person is with their behaviour, the easier they will find it to adapt their behaviour to the style of the prospect or customer they are interacting with. Yet flexibility can be developed with practice. Statistically around a quarter of the population have a similar Social Style to yours and so you will find that you are naturally comfortable with them. If you are able to developing your behavioural flexibility, you will be able to relate effectively with a greater number of people.
Understanding Social Styles - To learn more about this author, visit Nikki Owen's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
The Social Styles Model TM can help sales people improve their effectiveness by helping them to identify the dimensions of behaviour exhibited by customers and prospects to enhance relationships and avoid potential conflict.
This model blends two main components:
1. Assertiveness – the degree that people tend to ask or tell
2. Responsiveness – the degree that people show or control their emotions
The combination of these two tendencies reveals a person’s social style
The Analytical Style (Ask/Assertive) tends to control their emotions and appear re-strained. Their voice conveys objectivity and emulates a ‘reporting style’ because they talk in a monotone that creates a perception of detachment. Their focus is on tasks rather than people and they have a preference for facts and data. They appear reserved that is evident from their body language and slow speaking pace. They often withdraw and go quiet with people who are overly aggressive or emotional. This style is concerned with being organised, having all the facts and being careful before taking action. They need to be accurate and to be right and appear precise, orderly, methodical and conform to standard operating procedures, organisational rules and historical ways of doing things. They have a slow reaction time and are perceived as serious, industrious, persistent, and exacting. Their office will be neat, organised and functional.
When selling to Analyticals:
- Use facts and data to support your claims and provide reassuring proof that your proposal has already achieved proven success with others. This style will appreciate the opportunity of talking with other customers of yours to verify facts and figures, so incorporate this offer into your discussions with them.
- Remain neutral and impassive, because too much enthusiasm will cause your prospect to withdraw.
- Choose your words carefully and speak slowly so that they can evaluate everything you say and be mentally prepared for a slower decision.
- You may want to ask “Does that make sense?” at regular intervals because this checking question will give you the feedback you need as their body language and facial expressions will be hard to read.
- Use a logical sequence when conducting your meetings/presentation and provide them with an outline for the format of the meeting. This gives them a greater sense of security and appeals to their methodical nature.
- Do everything you can to avoid ‘pressurising’ them into making a decision, this will cause them stress and they will consequently withdraw.
The Driving style (Tell/Assertive) tends to remain in control of their emotions yet tends to exert more of their opinions. They speak fast and with volume and can be very direct. This style is results focused and can become impatient with people who take too long making up their mind and frustrated with emotional people. They are into taking action and have a quick reaction time. They will appear to be decisive, independent, disciplined, practical and efficient. Their offices will appear businesslike and they’ll often have certificates and commendations on the wall.
When selling to Drivers:
- Use facts and data so that you can substantiate the claims you make.
- Avoid small talk as this will only iritate them. Get to the point, they will appreciate your directness. Therefore, you’ll need to speak and act quickly with this style. This style appreciates eye contact (it implies directness) and strong gestures.
- If they ask you a question that usually you wouldn’t answer too early in the sales call, (for example responding to questions around price before you have conveyed the value) you must answer this with a direct answer. Any other response will be perceived as a ‘put off’ and frustrate them.
- Because they are comfortable in positions of power and control, you’ll find that they make decisions quickly about your product and service. A great close for this style is “ You know that there is a right way and a wrong way to do anything. The right way to do this is step one (outline at least 2 or 3 steps). Whereabouts are we in the decision making process?”
- If they are put under pressure they may become autocratic. This is great if they are the sole decision maker yet if they haven’t gained support from others who will be effected by your products/services you may experience internal resentment from others at a later stage.
The Amiable Style (Ask/Assertive) tends to portray their emotions and will speak more slowly and with more deliberation. They demonstrate a varied voice tone and can be very sensitive to the needs or reactions of others. This style is driven by relationships and can become upset if there is discord. They appear friendly, supportive, respectful, willing, dependable, and agreeable. Sometimes, they can lose sight of practicality and lose their objectivity if overwhelmed with emotional issues or relationship problems. They need co-operation, personal security and acceptance and feel uncomfortable with and will avoid conflict. Their office will appear ‘homely’ with photos of their family and other personal treasures.
When selling to Amiables:
- Position yourself as a trusted advisor, rapport and relationship will be very important to them. They like to feel that they are helping others and like to feel that they are liked.
- In negotiations they will sometimes agree to a Lose-Win outcome (in your favour) because they will sacrifice their own desires to win approval from others. (Lose-Win outcomes will only create resentment in the longer term)
- They prefer to work with other people in a team effort, rather than individually so proactively suggest that they include other people in the decision making process.
- This style will have an unhurried reaction time and little concern with effecting change or making a quick decision. Therefore, to leverage a decision you’ll need to appeal to why your proposal will be perceived by others in their organisation. This is because they are very people-orientated.
- They will tend to be very open with their feelings about your proposal although if there is something they don’t like, they may find this hard to tell you. That’s why you need to rely on your sensory acuity to assess their real response. If their non-verbal reactions aren’t as you’d expect then ask feeling based questions such as “I’m picking up that you’re not feeling a hundred percent about this. What’s on your mind?”
The Expressive Style (Tell/Assertive) tends to display their emotions and will be articulate with how they express themselves. They speak quickly and appear highly animated in conversation. This style tends to focus on people issues and they often use stories and metaphors to express their opinions. They are often highly spontaneous and can generate high-energy and creative ideas although their enthusiasm can wane if they have to follow-through on their ideas. They enjoy involvement, excitement, and interpersonal action and are sociable, stimulating, enthusiastic and good at involving and motivating others. They are ideas oriented and have little concern for routine and are future oriented. They will be perceived as spontaneous, outgoing, energetic, and friendly as well as excitable, impulsive, undisciplined, dramatic, manipulative, ambitious, overly reactive and egotistical. They will have disorganised offices and may have leisure equipment like golf clubs or tennis racquets lying around.
When selling to Expressives:
- Be prepared with them having a quick reaction time. They may get your point before you having finished making it. So you’ll need to be prepared for interruptions and convey that you feel fine about this. (They have a need to be accepted by others).
- Use opinions and stories rather than facts and data and personalize these by mentioning customer names.
- If they go off track, allow them to do this and they’ll want to see evidence of your interest in what they are saying. Therefore, use lots of active listening, smile to encourage them and use eye contact.
- Their head will often be full of ideas so speak and act quickly; vary your vocal inflection because this helps to maintain their interest.
- Never try to score a point at their expense. This will damage their ego and they’ll feel resentful towards you. Yet they will appreciate anything you can do to make them look good in the eyes of others so be prepared to let them think that your ideas are their ideas!
- If they feel that you are pressurising them, they will resort to making personal attacks, therefore, let them decide the pace for making their decision – it will always tend to be very fast with this style.
The Importance of Behavioual Flexibility
It makes sense that the more flexible a sales person is with their behaviour, the easier they will find it to adapt their behaviour to the style of the prospect or customer they are interacting with. Yet flexibility can be developed with practice. Statistically around a quarter of the population have a similar Social Style to yours and so you will find that you are naturally comfortable with them. If you are able to developing your behavioural flexibility, you will be able to relate effectively with a greater number of people.
Understanding Social Styles - To learn more about this author, visit Nikki Owen's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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