by Jerry V. Teplitz, JD, Ph.D., CSP

Have you ever tried to sell a client and had difficulty establishing rapport? Have you ever emphasized something you thought important and your client responded blankly? Do you find some clients make slower (or faster) decisions than you think appropriate?

Answering yes to any of these questions means that you have run across a client whose buying style is different from your selling style. To be more successful you need to learn to adapt your selling style to fit your client’s buying style. By “reading” your client’s behavioral style and appealing to that person in his or her terms, you can actually increase your sales dramatically.

In the early 1930s, a concept was developed by William Marston, which was later elaborated upon by Dr. John Grier. This concept divides people into four basic personality types. Understanding these types will allow you to sell more successfully. Many companies using this approach have increased sales from 10 percent to 30 percent.

The first step in this process is discovering your own style. The next step is recognizing your client’s buying style, and the final step is to apply this information to your sales presentation.

The four basic styles are called Dominance (D), Influencing (I), Steadiness (S),; and Conscientiousness (C). An important point to keep in mind is that no style is better than another. Rather, the key to being a successful salesperson is being able to adapt your selling approach to fit your client’s buying style.

Determining Your Style

First you need to determine your own selling style. To do this you will need to answer several questions. When you select your answers, think about which response best characterizes you when you are out there selling. In responding to these questions, you may feel that both aspects apply to you. In that case pick the response that describes you a bit more accurately.

Question 1: Is your selling behavior style more active and outgoing? Or, is your selling behavior style more reserved?

If you answered active and outgoing, you are either a D (Dominance) or an I (Influencing) behavioral style. If reserved, you are either an S (Steadiness) or a C (Conscientiousness) behavioral style.

To find out even more specifically what your style is you will need to select only one of the following as your choice:

If your last answer was a D or I:

Are you more concerned with directing of others, or are you more concerned with relating to others? If you are a relater, then you are an I. If you are a director, then you are a D.

Those whose first answer was an S or C need to answer the following questions:

Are you more concerned with accepting of others? Or, are you more concerned with assessing or judging of others? If you are concerned with accepting of others, you are an S. If you are concerned with the assessing or judging of others, you are a C.

Characteristics of the Styles

Now that you know what type of style you are, let’s explore the characteristics of the different styles.

If you are a D, Dominance style, you like getting immediate results, causing action, and accepting challenges. You prefer to make quick decisions to solve problems, and you enjoy taking charge.

If you are an I, Influencing style, you enjoy contacting and entertaining people while making a favorable impression. You are very verbal. You like generating enthusiasm and creating a motivational environment. You want to help others and enjoy participating in a group.

If you are an S, Steadiness style, you like staying in one place while concentrating on the task at hand. You are loyal and have tremendous patience, which allows you to be a good listener and able to calm excited people.

If you are a C, Conscientiousness style, you prefer following standards and procedures, concentrating on details, and working under controlled circumstances. While you can be diplomatic with people, you like accuracy and will criticize someone’s performance, if necessary. You are a critical thinker and believe in authority.

Your Client’s Style

Now that you know more about your style, you need to explore your client’s style.

The D Style Client
If your client is a Dominance or D style, he or she is highly interested in seeing the new and innovative things about your product or service. He or she usually possesses a fairly strong ego and does not like to waste time. To sell this highly individualistic go-getter, get right to the bottom line. Don’t waste his or her time with a lot of facts and figures. He or she just wants to hear the high points of your presentation. The D client will be loyal as long as you provide them with service.

The D style is more impressed with your efficient, no-nonsense business manner than any testimonials or data. He or she would rather leave cost factor details to someone else.

There are several do’s and don’t’s for each of the styles which are important to understand. First the do’s. For the D style you do need to be efficient and omit details. Do be strictly businesslike, as they will let you know if they want to chat. Do flatter their egos. Stress both the prestige and efficiency of your product or service. Do make sure you give them direct answers. Finally, do give them a short summary and close.

Here are the don’t’s for the D style. Don’t explain too many details unless they ask for them. Don’t give your opinions. Don’t be evasive or indecisive, but do give plenty of options.

The I Style Client
If your client is the Influence or I style, he or she is the friendly, gregarious type who wants to talk and socialize. He or she would make a great salesperson him- or herself (he or she may even attempt to sell you something!).

With the I style, spare him or her the details because he or she is not interested in them. He or she loves the new and innovative aspects of your product or service. The I is fairly easy to sell if you are sociable with him or her. This also means he or she can easily wind up going with another competitor’s product or service, so give him or her plenty of follow-up service. Buy him or her lunch or even a cup of coffee and closing will be easier.

Here are the do’s for the I style. Do let them talk, and give them compliments about their accomplishments. Do use their own words to direct the discussion back to business. If you can, do use the testimonials and name drop. Do be enthusiastic and friendly. Do have your summary focus only on the major selling points.

Don’t’s for the I. Don’t give them a lot of facts (you’ll create confusion). Don’t chat so much that you don’t get around to selling them.

The S Style Client
The Steadiness (S) client may be a bit shy, but he or she wants to be your friend. The S client is not suspicious, but is slow to make changes. The S client needs to feel he or she can trust you. You need to show him or her that your product or service is more traditional, and, if applicable, how it will impact their family.

With an S client, take it slow and easy. Speed can lose the sale. He or she will want to see your entire product line or learn about your services. He or she wants plenty of statistics. To earn his or her trust and friendship, ask about his or her family and hobbies. Emphasize the traditional and proven nature of your product or service, and make reassuring follow-up calls.

Here are the do’s for the S style. Do be low key. Do keep your explanations quiet and simple but loaded with details. Do involve the family in the decision. Do stress the security, reliability, and guarantees of your product or service’s. Do provide them with a complete cost picture. Do assure them that their decision is right, and that they will be pleased.

Don’t’s for an S. Don’t go too fast or omit details. Don’t get too friendly too quickly.

The C Style Client
The Conscientiousness (C) client may sometimes be suspicious of you. These individuals can become solidly faithful to you, but only after they trust you. They are tough clients to get (and to lose, once you’ve got them). They are not great talkers or innovators.

Give a C style client solid background information and convince him or her that your product or service works. Testimonials from other satisfied clients help, especially if the testimonial is from another C. He or she needs time to absorb details and digest the facts before taking the next step. He or she will want to see your entire product line or services that can impact him or her. He or she likes traditional and proven products or services.

Here are the do’s for the C style. Do set a tone of trust and sincerity. Do emphasize how you will minimize difficulties. Do stress the need for them to make an early decision. Do be patient, explain things fully, and ask them “how” questions to get their opinion. Do give a complete detailed financial picture. If you have a written description of your product or service, do be sure what you say is consistent with the written description.

Don’t’s for a C. Don’t give the C client a hard sell. Don’t get personal about their family if you don’t know them well. Don’t speak too loudly, or answer their objections lightly.

Blending Seller and Buyer

Now that you understand yourself and your clients better, you need to put it all together. To be truly effective, you will need to blend your selling style with that of your client’s buying style.

Blending for the D Salesperson
You are strong-minded and confident. You like to deal with new, innovative items, and you become bored with details.

• To sell a D: Be yourself. One D communicates well with another.
• To sell an I: Be a little more friendly than usual, not quite as businesslike. You should get along fairly easily with him or her.
• To sell an S: Slow down, give assurances, give more details, be friendlier, give him or her a chance to digest facts, don’t overstress new or innovative aspects.
• To sell a C: Present plenty of proof and facts, make sure all questions are answered, take it much slower than your usual pace, and don’t be “pushy.”

Blending for the I Salesperson
You are friendly and happy-go-lucky. You lack attention to details, become easily bored, and are very social and people-oriented.

• To sell a D: Don’t tell jokes or make small talk. Stay businesslike, and don’t waste time.
• To sell an I: No problem, just remember to ask for the agreement.
• To sell an S: Earn their trust before becoming too friendly. Stick to the facts and figures. Some socializing and small talk about your families is desirable. You will need to show a lot of knowledge about your product or service and his or her group’s needs.
• To sell a C: He or she is probably your most difficult customer. He or she is not impressed by story-telling or socializing. Give the facts, figures, and proof. The best you can do is attempt to act like another C.

Blending for the S Salesperson
You are steady and dependable, but easily discouraged. You can lack confidence in your sales abilities when placed in new and difficult situations.

• To sell a D: Assert more confidence, and don’t be intimidated or scared off by the strong-willed and challenging D. Come back strongly with the answers he or she wants.
• To sell an I: You may not like his or her over-friendly, time-wasting attitude, but you should get along fairly well.
• To sell an S: Like you, he or she will probably require lots of assurances, so be confident.
• To sell a C: You’ll have a fine rapport as long you can confidently answer all his or her questions and firmly present specific facts and figures. Don’t be intimidated by his or her skepticism.

Blending for the C Salesperson
You are a well-organized facts-and-figures person who prefers selling the traditional aspects of your product or service.

• To sell a D: Be careful; don’t overwhelm him or her with all your facts and figures. Just hit the high points. And muster enough courage to sell those new and innovative aspects of your product or service.
• To sell an I: Again, resist the urge to lay out all the facts. Just hit the high points, being as friendly as possible. Try showing him or her the new and innovative aspects of your product or service.
• To sell an S: Just don’t talk too fast, and you’ll get along well. Give him or her plenty of time to digest the facts you present. Talk about his or her family a little, too.
• To sell a C: This is your easiest sale. You’ll see eye-to-eye with him or her from the start.

While few people are pure “D, I, S, or C,” most of us are mixtures of the different styles. Blending your style to your client’s main style will be one of the most effective and successful sales techniques you can use. Use the people in your office whose styles are different from yours to help you discover how to approach that tough client more effectively. You will find that the more you use these techniques, the easier it will become to identify clients and close more sales.

Dr. Jerry Teplitz is an author, attorney and has a Ph.D. in wholistic health sciences. He is author of Managing Your Stress, Switched-On Living and Brain Gym For Business. He speaks and consults on management, leadership, sales and personal development issues. Dr. Teplitz can be reached at (800) 77-RELAX (777-3529) or Info@Teplitz.com. For more information, visit www.Teplitz.com.