Selling To Different Personality Types

One of the fun things about home improvement sales is the variety of personalities you meet in different selling environments. It's very rare that another selling job has you seeing a truck driver in the morning, an 80-year-old widow in the afternoon, and a bank president in the evening. One thing that will help you sell more is to learn to adapt or adjust your sales presentation to the person you're sitting in front of. I always tell salespeople that if you say the same thing in every home, you're doing it wrong because every home, and therefore every person you meet is different and has to be approached and sold differently. The basics are that people tend to fall into four general personality types. In this video, we'll cover what they are, how to handle them, and how to handle them based on your personality type.

The Four Key Personality Types in Home Sales

 You have 4 personality types when you're selling.  You've got analyticals, who tend to be introverted and focus on things. You’ve got drivers who can be extroverts and tend to talk about things. You've got your amiable people who focus on people and you've got expressives who are extroverts and typically talk about people. Many times themselves.

Drivers: The Bold and Assertive

So let's go over the four types. The first you've got are what I call bold or drivers. They tend to be pioneers. They’re initiators. They can be outspoken. They have a short fuse. They like measurements. They have a strong ego. They seek responsibility and they like to be in control.

Expressives: The Socializers

Then you've got your expressive or your socializer. They tend to be extroverts. They're trusting. You're enthusiastic. They like attention. They like to make a good first impression. They are articulate and they seek variety.

Amiable: The Supportive Followers

 Next, you have what I call the amiable or the follower. They're the opposites of the driver. They tend to be very systematic. They can be very methodical and they're service oriented. They have a long fuse. They're very consistent. They're stable. And on their own, they can be a little indecisive.

Analytical: The Reserved Perfectionist

 The last of the four personality traits would be the analytical. They tend to be very neat. They can be humble. They're sensitive, they're a little apprehensive, they like structure. They look for backing like supportive third party literature. Because of that, they can be suspicious without proof. And they tend to be reserved.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Personality Type

 So those are the four personality types. A person can have two or more, but usually one is more dominant. Now what you have to do is figure out which one you are. This will dictate how you interact with their personality type, which we will cover next. So which one would you be?

Bold (Drivers): Strengths and Weaknesses

So now that you understand which personality trait you are, let's go over the strengths and weaknesses of each trait so you can see how they interact with each other. And you'll notice that in most cases, the weaknesses are just an extension of the strengths. So if the style is bold, the strengths are that they're problem-solving, they’re decision-making, their goal achieving but their weakness is they find fault. They can lack filters. They can overrun people. And their needs are control, authority, and prestige.

Socializers: Strengths and Weaknesses

 If the style is their socializer, then their strengths are communication, participation, and good finding. Their weakness is going to be time control. Follow through. And no objectivity. The needs are for recognition, acceptance and to talk.

Followers: Strengths and Weaknesses

If they're follower, then their strengths are going to be loyalty, listening, and patience.  Their weakness can be that they're overly possessive, they avoid risk-taking, they avoid conflict, and their needs like as a socializer are recognition. They also need security and they need time.

Analyticals: Strengths and Weaknesses

Analyticals, they're strengths are analyzing, accuracy, and high standards, but their weakness is going to be they’re rigid. They can procrastinate, they're overly critical and their needs are to be precise. They need time and they need the facts.

Adapting Your Sales Approach for Different Personalities

So what you need to do then is recognize which personality trait you're sitting in front of them and sell to them the way they want to be sold. For example, if you're sitting in front of a driver, you recognize them because they say things like I want it now or not at all.. or cut to the chase. How much does this cost? When can I get it? How long will this take? Or I don't want a sales presentation. So the selling tips for drivers are that you need to be direct, and you need to be quicker in your delivery. Get to the point. They need to know what, not necessarily how. They don't need all the details that an analytical would get. You have to give control to get control.

In Home Sales Closing Techniques for Drivers

So a lot of times in the warm-up for a driver  I'll tell them.” Look, before we get started. I want to let you know that I want to be here as short as possible. I know your time like mine is valuable and I don’t want to waste it.  I want to get to the point and give the information as quickly as possible and that way you'll have what you need to make your decision. Just telling you right now so you don't think I'm being rude. Drivers will appreciate that. A takeaway always works better when I'm selling to a driver. They're not the person that you can close by saying look you need to do this. They're the person that a takeaway will work more by saying, look, if you're not sure you want to do it or you don't want to save the most amount of money, don't do it. But if you are sure you want it and you want to save the most amount of money, this is how you do it. It’s up to you.

In Home Sales Closing Techniques for Socializers

 Now when you're sitting in front of a socializer, they tend to say things like where are you from? Or I'm so sorry I'm late. My house is a mess please excuse me. Would you like something to drink or something to eat? Or did you see the game last night? Do you like this job? They'll be socializing. So the selling tips for a socializer are that you need to spare the details but focus more on the relationship they're going to buy you much more than the product in some ways. With a socializer, if you are one be careful that you don't spend all night with them. Be sure to follow up and give thank you calls. And I like to tell socializers that things are new and improved products.

In Home Sales Closing Techniques for Followers

 Now, if you're talking about followers, they tend to say things like, well, what do you think I should do? Or can I think about this and get back to you? How long have you been doing this? Well, what do most people do? Well, usually I have my son or somebody else to help me. I really don't know. Could you explain everything to me? And I'm not gonna buy anything today.  Selling tips for the follower. You've got to earn their trust. Go slow and easy. Answer all their questions. Reassure. In other words, more people hire us than anyone else. Most people do this. Most of my clients find this is the best way to do this. And when you're asking for the order, usually I tell them. Can I make a suggestion? You need. You want it? You can afford it. Why don't you just do it?

In Home Sales Closing Techniques for Analyticals

OK, now if you're sitting in front of an analytical, they're gonna ask you things like, well, tell me about the warranty in detail. Is it in writing? Do you have any literature you can leave with me? What's the timeframe? What's the r value? Where is the forest that they cut the trees from they make the cabinets out of? They take notes and of course the dead giveaway….they have a spreadsheet. Selling tips for the analytical. You need to show proof and referral letters if possible. Be very detailed. Be structured in your sales presentation. Answer with how. Instead of saying that the windows are warranted for 20 years against fading, they need to know that it's because it has titanium dioxide chemical mixed in with the vinyl which allows it not to fade, and give them the warranty. Use third-party literature as much as possible proof and try to be as technical as possible.

Adapting Your Sales Style to Different Personalities

Besides knowing how to sell to the different personality traits, you've got to adjust your personality traits to deal with their personality trait because they're different. So if you're bold, if you're talking to another bold person, you can just be yourself. Direct to the point. But if you were the socializer, you've got to be prepared to socialize a bit, a little bit more than you normally would. If you're with a follower, you've got to slow down. Got to share information. Don't be pushy and analytical, you've got to provide proof and facts.

 Now, if you're a socializer and you're talking to a bold person be business like and don't initiate small talk. To another socializer don't forget to ask for the order. You  don't want to be there 8 hours later and you both have this pleasant social visit without taking care of business.

For a follower. You've got to earn their trust. Don't become an overly socializer. And with an analytical stick to prove the facts.

Now, if you're a follower and talking to a bold person, you've got to show confidence. The socializer you've got to provide social time. You've got to reassure them. And to an analytical, you have got to use evidence and answer all of their questions. I don't mean to be this way, but it's probably very difficult to be in a sales job if you're a follower.

If you're an analytical to a bold person, concentrate on the what, not the how. They just didn't know what it would do for them, not the details. They don't need to know the forest the trees are cut from. To the Socializer hit the high points. To a follower, give them time to digest the information and to another analytical remember to take action.

I almost wasn't going to include this slide because it has generalities and stereotypes, but I found that a lot of customers fall into different categories . In other words retired people a lot of times tend to be socializers. Now, depending on the profession, they could be analytical, but in general more socializing. I think they have more time.

Blue collar, I've noticed, tends to be more socializing, white collar a lot of times is analytical. Could be bold as well.

Technical people like accountants and chemists they tend to be analytical and because of that a lot of times by their profession you can tell what they're going to be. They're a chemist. They're probably analytical. Widows or widowers a lot of times are socializers.

 The drivers, lawyers, and CEOs, tend to be bold. Money people a lot of times can be bold or they can have a secondary trait of a socializer. A lot of lower-income customers are going to be socializers or followers. Again, this is not a fact just generality. This is just something I've noticed, but a lot of times when I find out what their profession is when I first meet them, it starts to let me get my read on them faster than if I didn't do that.

Conclusion: Mastering In Home Sales Closing Techniques

 Hopefully, you can see there's a lot involved in being a great home improvement salesperson. I think another byproduct of doing this besides making more sales is that your job would become less boring and more fun because now every call is different instead of just being a human tape recorder saying the same thing every time you press play. By understanding who you're sitting in front of and adjusting your style, the level and rapport connection will skyrocket and so will your income. If you like what you see, please subscribe and check out the video on Telling is not selling and the playlist on closing. I have shown above. Happy selling.