STRONG SALESPEOPLE read their prospects quickly and adapt accordingly. Prospects can generally be categorized as having one of four personality types: the analytical prospect, the driver, the amiable prospect and the expressive prospect. Once you’ve determined your prospect’s personality type, you can adapt your approach to help build a solid relationship. After all, birds of a feather flock together. Analytical prospects are thinkers. They are dependable, organized and have an appreciation for detail. They can come across as standoffish until you get to know them. As a sales professional, your best approach with this prospect is just to get down to business. Analytical prospects aren’t there to make friends, and they will appreciate an efficient meeting. Ask questions to better appreciate their business challenges. Be thorough and precise when you are explaining your products or services. Amiable prospects are good listeners. They are friendly, approachable and focused on building relationships. They are more sensitive than other prospect personality types. They struggle to make quick decisions, and they often waver after the decision is made. If you’re selling to amiable prospects, start by building trust. They will make a decision to buy based primarily on their comfort level with you. Use a soft, comforting tone when conversing. Help them feel good about the decision to work with you. Even after the contract is signed, they may continue to need reassurance about their decision. Prospects known as drivers like to take action and are quick to do so. They are also likely to stand by their decisions. However, they aren’t likely to be great listeners. They may not appreciate anything that interferes with their ability to act on their agenda. They can be inflexible and impatient when things don’t go according to plan. If you can demonstrate your appreciation for a driver’s time, you will be rewarded. Script your presentation in advance. Cut it down to a few impactful minutes. If drivers want additional details, they will ask questions. Give them enough information to make a decision, and then close the deal. Expressive prospects like to talk. They love the art of conversation, and they love a good audience even more. They have a tendency to digress, and they are easily bored. They bring up their positive and negative reactions quickly, often without much forethought. They would rather agree with you than argue, even when they see the issue differently. If you’re selling to expressive prospects, use their names often to make them feel special. Keep the discussion light. Be comfortable chitchatting, but you also need to be ready to lead them back to the point. While every prospect is a little analytical and amiable, driving at some times and expressive at others, one of the four personality types is usually dominant. The more quickly you can discern your prospect’s type, the more likely you are to connect and close the sale.
