Sales Fu = The Art of Identifying & Capturing Customer energy and using it to Persuade & Influence a purchase decision.
In order to Capture Customer Energy it’s important to be on the same page with communication styles. This starts with identifying and mirroring the customer’s personality type. There are numerous labels attached to these personality types, some involve animals and some involve different color schemes, but they all follow the same general format- How Emotional Open/Closed is the Customer and How Direct/Indirect are they about their goals? I’ll quickly describe each quadrant in this post, to be a SalesFu master means we must start with understanding how our customers communicate and why. Use the chart to the right to find out the words that will help you connect to each personality.
OPEN EMOTION & DIRECT GOALS – RADICAL REDS
These RADICAL RED customers wear their emotions on their sleeves and will tell you right away what they want to accomplish, they have nothing to hide. You will know these customers, they tend to use slang, may even curse or use what some would consider inappropriate language. These clients want to buy from someone who is a friend first, their trust system means that a friend wouldn’t let them down or steer them wrong. Pick up the pace of communication and be prepared to get sidetracked on a conversation in order to earn their business. If you are normally very professional you’ll need to let your guard down a little and use first names.
OPEN EMOTION & INDIRECT GOALS – BOO BLUES
These clients tend to be emotionally open, but they have no idea what their goal is but they are pretty sure that they need help. BOO BLUES are named not only because they may be more open to sharing personal stories of heartbreak but also because they may be prone to being emotionally scared off. Ever have a customer tell you that your deal just didn’t “Feel Right”? These customers need to be coddled and you need to be the be the Sales Sheppard and lead them to safety. Slow down and take your time with this personality, these folks are loyal once they make a decision so it’s worthwhile. These clients value family and have a people first mentality.
CLOSED EMOTION & INDIRECT GOALS – GEEKY GREENS
Did you ever have that customer that wouldn’t tell you what they really want? They play their cards close to their chest? “You tell me what you can offer first and then I’ll make my decision.” These customers aren’t looking to make new friends, this is a business decision and the numbers are what matters most. The GEEKY GREEN is likely to make decisions based on a spread sheet and has a goal in mind, they just won’t share it with you initially. In all my sales travelling adventures I find this one the hardest to identify with. The trick is to find out what the decision making process is, ask to see the spread sheet or ask for a specific goal to meet. If this can be obtained it’s possible to frame your product or service so that it fits the criteria and wins the business. This personality is also likely to be a heavy shopper with little loyalty, be on your toes. Offer multiple options so that the GEEKY GREEN can fill in their spread sheet and choose the best option, just make sure all the options lead back to you.
CLOSED EMOTION & DIRECT GOALS – BUSINESS BROWNS
These customers are all about the bottom line. It’s not that they aren’t friendly or caring, but they just don’t have the time. These clients are often professionals or entrepreneurs with limited time for you on their schedule. Convenience and efficiency are often the driving decision factors here. I fall into this category myself, not because I want to really but more because I have to be. I will pay more for a product or service if it’s delivered or saves me time. Use business words to connect with this customer, always be prompt and build business rapport not personal. They aren’t looking for new friends they want to know whether or not you can help them accomplish their goal.
These 4 Personality types are vastly different from each other and it’s amazing that each personality type has a different set of comfort words. Salespeople often fall into the RADICAL RED category, outgoing, boisterous, personable and fun, but that personality type can conflict when up against a GEEKY GREEN. The trick to closing more sales is to learn to adapt your communication style, change your energy and motion so that the customer identifies with you. The words you use, speed, tone and messaging will create that moment where you “click” with the customer, they will believe you “Get Them”. The crazy thing is that the product, service or underlying message may be the exact same for every client, it’s just framed for a different perspective.
A quick example here- Let’s say you have a Money Back Guarantee on your product, it’s the exact same guarantee for every client, however it would be explained different to each personality type.
RADICAL REDS = We have a great NO RISK policy!
BOO BLUES– We’ve provided a safe way to test the product
GEEKY GREENS– Our Policy offers you a reasonable way to recoup any loss.
BUSINESS BROWNS– Bottom Line, We will do what’s right with no questions asked.
Try to identify the next customer you meet and incorporate the Key Words on the Graphic and you’ll be amazed at how quickly the rapport is built!
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