If you are a small business owner or manager, I’ll bet you often play the roll of salesperson. The better your selling skills the more successful your business will be. Here is the latest in our series of sales training videos. It describes how to identify and handle different personality types. It’s about 3 minutes long. After you watch it, pass it along to the rest of your team and then see what type personality they think they are.
I'm about to conduct a sales training session for two of my salesmen, Sam and Harry, about how to handle different personality types. Why don't you listen in? Good afternoon, gentlemen.
Good afternoon, Boss.
If you're taking a one size fits all approach when you deal with prospects, chances are you're limiting your sales potential. You need to recognize different personality types and then modify your presentation accordingly.
That sounds difficult, Boss. There must be dozens of different personality types.
Actually, I divide prospects into four personality types. And to make it easier to remember, I use animals and their behavior to help me remember them.
That's interesting. What are the four animals?
Cow, lovebird, owl, and rhino.
Owls are supposed to be smart, so I guess owl customers are like "know it alls." I hate guys like that.
Calm down, Sam. Owls are wise. They get that way by asking questions. They want to know all of the details.
So Boss, if you're dealing with an owl, you better know your product.
That's right. But the good thing is, if you answer all of their questions, they're usually ready to buy.
How about the lovebird? I get along great with my customers. I talk sports, remember the names of their kids, and treat them to lunch whenever I can. They love me.
It's called relationship selling, and it works. As you discover common interests with your prospect, you make a connection. When two people find out they have things in common, they tend to trust one another. And we all know that trust is very important factor in closing a sale.
What about the cow, Boss? What traits do they have?
Cows have a herd mentality. They take their direction from what others do around them. They like recommendations, and are probably the easiest to sell. But there's a problem with cows.
What's that?
After the sale, if they talk to friends or even your competition, they may have second thoughts-- you know, buyer's remorse-- and want to cancel or modify the order.
So you better make sure they understand the features, terms, and conditions.
We haven't talked about the rhino yet. Sounds scary.
Actually, the rhino is the most difficult personality to handle. He's usually busy, and wants to get to the bottom line or price as soon as possible. He doesn't have patience to listen to your sales presentation and will want to take control of the conversation.
So Boss, how do you handle a rhino?
Handle a rhino by being a rhino. Let them know that your time is valuable too. Get to the point quickly, and convince him that the benefits of your product or service are worth taking the time to review.
So we have to be able to recognize all four personality types and deal with them.
Ask yourself this question. What personality type am I? Chances are, most of your customers will be a lot like you. But to be a top producer, you need to be able to recognize and adapt to all four personality types. Once you master this concept, you'll be well on your way to becoming a top producer.