Personality Types- Avoiding the “Cookie-Cutter” Approach to Sales

Most sales reps take a cookie cutter approach to sales. They have one sales pitch and assume it works for every buyer. That couldn’t be further from the truth. All buyers are different, but in general, they fall into one of four personality types. There is a lot of crossover, but the sooner you can figure out which personality type best fits your buyer, the sooner you can get them to buy. The worst thing you can do is go into an appointment without a game plan and take the wrong approach with the wrong buyer. Really good sales reps understand this and do their homework, but they are also able to change their approach on the fly if they need to.

Here are a few questions to consider for each personality type. I hope this helps!

HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS PERSONALITY TYPE IN CUSTOMERS?Guardians- A guardian is going to test you in the first two or three minutes of your conversation. They aren’t comfortable “winging it”, and like dealing with sales reps who know their stuff. Sometimes they ask questions they already know the answer to just to get your response. If you blow it, your credibility is gone.
Idealists- Idealists like to know their sales reps on a personal basis. They like to know who they are dealing with. They ask a lot of questions and are genuinely interested in your answers, but usually don’t share their own opinions right away. Once they get to know you they open up.
Artisan- Artisans go right for your samples. They are visual people, and go with their emotions, so you need to get them excited about doing business with you. They are more interested in the end result than they are with the process to get there.
Rationals- I know I’m dealing with a rational when they send test files and ask me to bring samples to the appointment. Because they are often skeptical, they will ask questions about your company’s background and qualifications to validate you as a vender.

HOW SHOULD YOU SELL TO THEM?
Guardians- I take a more methodical approach with guardians by providing and following a strict agenda, but I always get feedback from them in advance to make sure we accomplish exactly what they want to get done. They are usually less interested in samples, and more interested in processes. Emphasize the benefits to them – how will you make their job easier? How will you make them look good?
Idealists- Because idealists are so loyal to their organizations, it is important to emphasis big-picture benefits. How can you help the company operate more efficiently or save money? Printing is just dots on paper, but other aspects of printing, like web-to-print solutions or an automated bindery, really provide opportunities for results. Emphasize the results and you will keep their attention.
Artisan- Because artisans trust their instincts more than any other personality type, you want to engage them right away to get them on board. Skip the plant tour, but bring plenty of good samples and be ready to quote a job on the fly. If they have a job ready to go, and your samples look good, they might let you take it with you. Artisans are all about what is right in front of them at that moment. Create lasting impressions and you will win their business.
Rationals- Rationals like the “top down approach”, so start with the big picture- explain exactly how your solution solves problems, and then go into the details. By catching their attention with the solution right away, you allow them to get in their comfort zones. More than any other personality type, if you can get the rational on board with your solution, they really become de facto members of your sales team within their organization.

HOW SHOULD YOU NOT SELL?
Guardians- Guardians like to buy, but they don’t like to be sold. If you put on too much of a sales pitch they will become weary of your tactics and start looking for reasons to exclude you, instead of buying from you. Don’t challenge them. Remember that guardians are dutiful and cautious. If your solution sounds too good to be true, they probably won’t be willing to take a chance. They don’t want to risk their credibility.
Idealists- You want to avoid being overly technical with an idealist. My company provides web-to-print solutions, so it is easy to get caught up in speeds, feeds and technology jargon, but idealists aren’t comfortable making decisions unless they understand all of the information presented to them. The sales call with an idealist is not the time to try and prove how smart you are.
Artisan- Artisans don’t like to get caught up in processes, so if you make it hard for them to do business with you, they won’t buy. Avoid stuffy conversations and make your appointments fun. Meet outdoors. Get them away from the office. The last thing you can do is lose their attention. The minute they look at their Blackberry, you have lost them.
Rationals- if you don’t emphasize your solution in the first few minutes you risk losing the rational’s attention. They understand their problems, and are looking for vendors who can help solve them, but you have to remember that they are also very skeptical. They have probably been burned in the past, so if you go in with the “we are the best at what we do and never mess up” attitude, they will probably eliminate you right away.