Customer Personality Types & Appropriate Adaptability to Convert More Leads

You are likely to be more successful in Sales by understanding the triggers that convince your prospect to make the purchase decision. This post suggests that the single-best way of converting prospects into paying customers is to appropriately adapt to each prospect's purchase decision-making approach. This adaptability is likely to enhance your conversion rates quite considerably. On that basis, we will discuss each of the Buyer Personality Types along with the corresponding sales response. This information has been inspired by research presented by HupSpot's Aja Frost.

Whenever possible, design all marketing and sales pipeline stages according to your target customer personality type aka your customer avatar. Incorporate this knowledge into the customer qualification and customer onboarding stages  to not only categorize each prospect by personality type but more importantly to adapt appropriately. These personality types relate key factors regarding levels of customer awareness of their problem, knowledge of the product, knowledge of product options and market trends which can be elements for creating the ideal target market based on your product's known strengths and weaknesses.

However, when using a data collection methodology to determine your target market's personality type(s), make it replicate the buying situation as much as possible to ensure valid results. Not only can people have more than one personality type, but they can also display different traits in different buying circumstances. For instance, a career woman may display 'assertive' personality traits in her professional environment but, when shopping for a building contractor, display more 'amiable' personality traits (because her fears of being single in a foreign and male-dominated area environment completely puts her out of her element). Furthermore, her personality may appear to change when she becomes more confident in the environment.

Customer personality types include 'assertives', 'analyticals', 'amiables' and 'expressives'.

Assertive Buyer Personality Type

• driven by goals, results and the bottom line.
• competitive. For instance, business customers will appreciate if you show them in a concrete way how your offering will give them a competitive advantage.
• impatient for a quick delivery of your product / service information. In fact, they are likely to interrupt your waffling speech in an effort to steer you towards what interests them; ie the more concise version of how you will help them to achieve their goals.
• speak in declarative sentences (over questions). Declarative sentences are minimalistic and present only vitally important. Examples include 'I need X' rather than 'What are your options?' Other examples of declarative statements include 'She is 18 years old'. Even if the statement includes subjective content, like 'Mary is sad' or 'Mary is attractive', it tends to be based on something that the declaring person can readily justify if asked (like the fact that Mary was crying earlier and that her face has a or b features as per his or her culture's beauty standard). In short, their language shows forcefulness and confidence. 
• decisive. If they get the information they need quickly enough, they can make a decision ... and happily move on. In fact, their decisiveness can potentially shorten your selling process.
• They are very highly driven and work quickly. They would expect that from anyone they choose to take seriously.
• controlling. Their antics arguably have a type of professional narcissism quality. For instance, they are poor listeners who are likely to interrupt you ... if you are not getting to the point quickly and convincingly enough about how your offering with make them shine above their competition. 
• Their body language and speech are bolder, more forceful and louder than general. For instance, they use big gestures and confident body language.

To sell effectively to customers with assertive personality traits.

• Be very professional. For instance, be very prepared for meetings with deep and objective insights into how your product will give provide outcomes (like competitive advantage) they need. Avoid small talk or personal chit chat unless they initiated it and especially if it will be forced.
• be highly efficient, even with communication. For instance, get to the point quickly regarding specific ways your product will help them to meet their goals. Also have efficient meetings that follow and meet clear objectives (from an agenda).
• Be highly objective. For instance, use facts and figures to impress them. Avoid opinions and unsubstantiated subjectivity will turn them off. For instance, speak of potential outcomes for them in terms of facts and figures they can see. Train / encourage everyone providing any messaging on your business' behalf, even evangelizing customers accordingly. For instance, if you wish an evangelist customer to leave a review, encourage evangelists to speak of your consultation services not as having been simply 'great' (which is too subjective and therefore insufficiently convincing for an assertive) but 'helped to increase profits by x%'
• If you can not immediately answer a question, say so, offer to get the answer and revert with answers as quickly as you promise or sooner. Avoid making up answers to save face.
• Cater to their competitive nature. Make the focus on how your product or service will give them a competitive advantage. Skip details about features, service techniques, your team's qualifications, theoretic backing and so on. Just speak about reaching the end goal.
• Be assertive in a respectful and professional way.
• Use sales representatives with more sales experience and knowledge of success stories for these types of buyers.
• If you find assertives unpalatably cold, impatient and seeming to view sellers less as fellow humans but more like internet server machines whose search engines are judged based on criteria of unhuman speed and precision, you might not be an assertive. Furthermore, you may need to practice dealing with assertives and or, if possible, work only with people who are closer to your own personality type.

Analytical Personality Type

Analyticals demonstrate strong desire for a brilliant, results-driven and arguably hard-nosed sales pitch while having a low tolerance for a sales pitch that is subjective and personal. 

Characteristics

• Appreciate data, facts and figures. They want to fully understand their options before making any decision.
• Risk-averse and more organized than average. They are perfectionists and may even suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Like the 'Conscientious' classification, analyticals may prefer to work alone.
• Ask many detailed questions.
• Are thorough, logical and cautious. Consequently, they may take longer (than average) to decide. For instance, they shop around before making a final decision. This is especially the case for higher ticket items that generally involve more consideration. However, their decisions are reliable. 
• They may not have already researched you and your business before meeting.
• They appreciate timeliness

To sell effectively to customers with analytical personality traits:

• Provide a lot of details and data. Ideally, be over and meticulously prepared; have as much material as they will need on hand before meetings. This material may be useful reference points to help them advance in the buying process. Depending on your operation, this may also involve a knowledge base.
• Give them time to ask questions. Do not try to discourage their questions. Furthermore, when unable to answer a question, promise to get the answer asap … and follow through quickly.
• Give quick and precise responses to their questions.
• Get to the point regarding the end result.
• Assume their basic knowledge by talking in terms of data, facts and figures. Avoid flowery a sales pitch, lofty claims, small talk or personal chit chat, especially if it will be forced and unnatural.
• Allow them to take their time to process your data. Do NOT rush them.
• Be punctual.
• To avoid having your sales prospects with this personality type suffer from analysis paralysis, engineer your process to streamline the decision-making process. Someone experiencing 'analysis paralysis' gets overwhelmed by the process of analyzing and evaluating various data needed to decide that they can not act. Determine the prospect's decision-makings type as described as 'Satisfice' and 'Maximize' by Herbert Simon (a United States psychologist). The former can emerge from ample amounts of data with a decision because he tends to select the first option that meets his need or most of them. Conversely, the 'maximize' are perfectionists. They keep looking for other, better alternatives. Ultimately, they prolong the decision-making process and may become stuck. Research shows that maximizing correlates with lower levels of happiness and greater levels of depression. Such people are likely acting on a huge fear of failure and or making the wrong decision. Furthermore, 'choice overload' beyond someone's threshold for large amounts of data can also make the decision-making process harder. In light of this, your selling process may include the following.
  • provide fewer choices. Sheena Iyengar's 'Jam Experiment' illustrates that fewer choices converts better. Despite the initial attraction to more choices (24 om the experiment), only 3% of prospects purchased while 30% of people who looked at the 6-option booth bought. 
  • streamline the data analysis process, especially regarding large volumes of data into less choices or a means of helping analyzers to narrow the choices. 

Amiable Personality Type

Amiable customer personalities are arguably the opposite of the assertive personality type. They demonstrate low levels of desire to start with a hard-nosed results-driven sales pitch but a strong desire for a sales pitch that engenders trust.

Characteristics

• value rapport on a personal level in the sales process and therefore prefer a more friendly, laid-back and informal approach (than assertives). They may want to know you personally, ie outside of your professional role. For instance, they may be keen to know your marital status and family situation, your favorite vacation destination and other common non-professional life experiences. If your product or service involves a team, they might also want to know the team members.
• the abovementioned rapport they seek is a way in which they develop the trust and sense of safety they want to have in someone from whom they buy.
• given their need to build rapport, they require a potentially longer time to advance through your sales pipeline than usual (or with assertives).
• To facilitate their requisite rapport and trust building, they are good, patient listeners
• can be convinced by discussions involving new features and the detailed success stories of your previous customers who have similar backstories.
• risk-averse.
• If amiables are part of a (business) team, they are likely to seek consensus from their team and re-confirmations from 'authority figures' before deciding to buy. In short, they are personally less decisive (than assertives).
• They are generally unstructured in their work style.

To sell effectively to customers with amiable personality traits:

• Take your time with your selling process and advance through all of the following points so they can feel trustful of and safe with you and your company. 
• Almost in a type of gentle parental fashion, guide them, as if to a sense of safety. For instance, apply your knowledge of their inherent risk aversion. Specifically, highlight your guarantees and risk-minimizing policies like those related to refunds and risk-free cancellations. If possible, offer personal, dedicated support for any concerns that may arise at any time. Some companies assign dedicated support personnel for this reason. In the spirit of promoting a good customer experience (which in this case, includes feeling safe and constantly supported), incorporate the message throughout the experience. For instance, email autosignatures can include 'Jane, your personal support rep' ... and a link to your CRM's meeting scheduler that reads 'Book a meeting'
• Be animated and genuinely enthusiastic about your product. Be friendly and chit chat a little. Talk about your or their vacation. 
• Do not overwhelm amiables with too many (hard) facts and figures information, especially not at first. If you must discuss these things, do so as concisely as possible to prevent their boredom. Rather, give more personal examples of past customers, detailing the similar backstories (like the relatable factors that inspired their interest in your product), the relevant product features and how they helped the customer.
• Know the person with authority. Without stepping over the head of the amiable, follow the amiable's desire to involve the authority person. Specifically, ask about that authority person's personality type and, if appropriate, provide a suitably personality-type adapted list of points that the amiable can use for that authority.
• Assign empathetic employees to work with amiables. They are likely to have greater success selling to amiables. If you have new employees that are empathetic and are uncertain the customer personality types with which they should start working, amiables may be a good fit.
• If you find amiables sound a bit too ditzy, you might be more of an assertive and need to practice dealing with amiables. If at all possible, re-assign employees who are not amiables (if they had been buyers of your product) to work only with customers who are more like them.

Expressive Personality Type

Expressives personality traits are a combination of assertives and amiables. Specifically, they have the air of confidence of assertives but the human sensibility of amiables. However, they make decisions faster than their amiable counterparts. Their name 'expressives' may understandably conjure images of 'save-the-world' placard-toting buyers.

Characteristics

• Very principled, they value business relationships with loyalty and mutual respect. They may be concerned with your company's good corporate citizenship and corporate governeance more than the average buying Joe.
• Are likely to try to bond with you on a personal level. May be interested in how the company affects the community.
• Present themselves with enthusiasm and color. In fact, they are outgoing and spontaneous and even likely to be creative.
• Speak with declarative sentences rather than ask questions.

To sell effectively to customers with expressive personality traits:

• Establish only accurate product or service expectations, therein making only promises.you can surely keep. Be reliable and trustworthy in all details of your interaction, including delivering on dates promised, completing tasks as promised and so on.
• Appeal to their strong convictions. Make meaningful contributions in support of their convictions. Demonstrate how your product and services will change daily life positively.
• Use case studies to demonstrate results, especially if they support their convictions about which they care. Avoid an approach that is overly focused on facts and figures.
• Discuss the sale in terms of an ongoing relationship between you / your company and the buyer.
• As in the case of the 'steadiness' DISC classification, take a personal interest in them, but be sincere. Share a little about yourself. Avoid in-authenticity as this will turn them off. 

CONTENT RELATED TO CUSTOMER PERSONALITY TYPES & SUITABLE ADAPTABILITY  FOR HIGHER SALES

• Apply these emotionally intelligent selling styles to your brand's voice and tone when creating social media content. Remember to include the specifications in your brand style guidelines.
• the customer's purchase decision making process
• Consider your most valuable customers yet. What were their personality type? What strategies did you use to have the winning outcome? Use this information to create your target customer profile or customer avatar. Using an avatar is the next systematic step after knowing your prospect's personality type. See how to create and use an ideal customer avatar.
• See how well your brand personality matches that of your customer.
• When approach sellers, get an advantage by introducing you and your company effectively.
• Needless to say, it would also be necessary to onboard workers (new and old) to this sales approach.