April 22, 2005
The Secret Language of Your Customer
As a professional in sales, if you were
asked the question, “Do you use the same approach with every potential client?”
you would probably answer, “No, of course not. I vary my approach to the
individual.” But, chances are, you’re not as different as you think you are,
because of one common denominator: You. Your personality. Even with your
intuitive skills that tell you when to adapt to the visual and verbal cues you
receive from another human being, the truth is you sell to others, as you would
have others sell to you.
Hippocrates believed that by understanding
the temperament of his patients, he would know better how to treat them.
Identifying four distinct personalities, he labeled them using medical terms of
his time, as Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, and Melancholy. Today, these four
temperaments still form the basis for almost all personality tests from the
Myers-Briggs to DISC®. Just as Hippocrates learned that he could best treat his
patients by knowing their personality, you can best serve your customers by
understanding theirs.
The first type can be described as the Phlegmatic
and their mantra is "Sell me the Easy Way."
The peaceful Phlegmatic is a relational customer.
He resists any sales technique that he perceives as pressuring. His biggest
fear is buying the wrong item. He likes to be educated in his approach. His
self-talk concerns issues such as, “Is it a good deal? Will it perform? Is it
the best one?” The secret language of this customer contains words and phrases
like “guarantee,” “problem solver” and “easy terms.” Help the Phlegmatic
customer through his issues and assuage the buyer’s fear of making the wrong
purchase. You could gain a customer for life.
More later...
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