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According to sales guru
Jeffrey Gittomer, at the end of the day, "people buy from those they
like, and those that are like them." Hey Coach Nick, how do I become
more like my prospects and contacts? Look to DISC, a methodology to
help you tune into your prospect's communication style - their
tonality, speed, the words they use, whether their approach is
primarily visual, auditory or kinesthetic. As Coach Nick says,
"don't fight the wind, adjust your sails."
The DISC model divides the universe into
four communication style quadrants. Once you've pegged your own
communication style and your prospect's, you can match and mirror
your prospect's style so you are "on the same page."
Dominant - D's like to be in
control. They're very competitive and always need to be right. They
worry about losing or appearing weak. You'll find D's bottom-line
oriented and quick decision-makers. D's are quick, to the point, and
can even be abrasive. They also like to control the outcomes of
their environment.
Influential - I's are fast-paced,
disorganized and indecisive. You'll find them to be flashy dressers
who like to follow trends. They look for consensus, typically
involving many others in the process. I's fear rejection and seek
approval. They tend to work in an informal manner.
Steady - S's are cooperative and
are team driven. They're very casual and methodical. S's hate change
and fear instability, so they'll take a long time to get comfortable
with you and make a decision. You'll find S's friendly, informal and
tend to serve others.
Conscientious - C's are
detail-oriented, slow and deliberate. They enjoy researching
subjects thoroughly and often overplan. These methodical individuals
fear being criticized, yet they are very critical, very efficient.
C's also tend to be very formal and avoid discussing personal
matters.
Mastering your approach to each of your
contacts is a way to gain a competitive edge and sell more
effectively…another way to win, by bonding and building a
relationship. How? By more effectively managing the nuances of the
selling situation. For example, if your prospect is a high C, it's
not likely they would want to have lunch, be touched on the
shoulder, or make small talk.
Here are two scenarios where Coach Nick
used DISC to propel a selling situation forward.
Scenario #1: Head of Sales
Training at a nationally known corporation
When Coach sized up Terry as a high I,
he knew how to play his cards. As a high I, Terry likes buying from
people who are referred, and would feel badly about not taking a
meeting from a colleague's contact. Nick played this for all it was
worth, mentioning the referrer's name several times in order to get
a meeting.
At the meeting, Nick stroked Terry a
lot, and used a very informal approach to match Terry's. Nick was
also very patient when Terry asked him to meet his boss and
requested that a manager attend Nick's workshop. He wasn't surprised
when meetings ran 1 ½ or 2 hours, or when Terry cancelled a few
times because he was overwhelmed. Nick also took Terry to lunch a
few times before and after they started working together.
In addition, Nick hardly mentioned
finances, which never came up for discussion. Nick merely told Terry
the investment was at the bottom of page 2 of his proposal.
How would Nick have handled things if he
was unaware that Terry was a high I? He would have been more formal
and more impatient. He would have probed a lot more on budget
issues, and would have entered into a negotiation about money. When
Terry canceled repeatedly, Nick would have asked him if he was
serious. He might have been more confrontational, or even walked
away. If Nick was in his usual D mode, he would have thought Terry
was wasting his time, and he would have missed cues, as D's don't
listen well.
As an insensitive, win-oriented D, Nick
might have challenged Terry, and lost the sale. Nick had to put his
ego aside and let Terry think he won.
Scenario #2 The Entrepreneur
Running His $10MM Company
While most entrepreneurs are D's, Nick
soon discovered Paul was an S. How did he know? Nick noted Paul was
a casual dresser and used kinesthetic words like comfortable. Paul
also focused on the relationship, and trust was important to him.
When, for expediency, Nick set up conference calls, Paul blew them
off - all four. Yet face-to-face meetings were productive, in fact,
Paul dedicated a whole day to Nick. That was the tip-off! S's are
better face to face, and get overwhelmed when you give them too much
at once. So Nick had to focus on one subject at a time, do all the
work face-to-face, and stay on Paul's radar often.
S's are very loyal, and Paul was
unwilling to make the hard decision to fire an employee he should
have let go. As a D, Nick had to curb his impatience, and stop
asking himself, why didn't Paul fire this guy already? Instead, Nick
realized that as an S, Paul was loyal to his team and had trouble
with the firing. Nick also had to take into account that S's move
slowly, so he adjusted his style, recognizing that things take
longer.
Want to figure out more about your own
style, and how you can size up prospects and sell more effectively?
The foundation of success lies in understanding ourselves and others
. . . and then adapting our behavior to meet specific situations.
More than 40 million people have used DiSC to become better
communicators, create more positive relationships, and improve their
performance. Coach Nick offers DISC assessments in selling,
communication, listening, time management, and sales management.
Click here to find out more. |
