Relationships are everything in sales. 

Understanding what’s important to your prospect and how to speak to that can be the difference between a conversation that ends in frustration and a conversation that ends in a sale and a happy dance!

So, today I’m going to break down four main personality profiles and share with you how to connect more deeply with and shift your messaging to appeal to each group. 

Because when you take the time to understand personality traits, you’ll be able to connect more deeply, create better relationships, and address the things that are most important to your prospects.

Note: People are complicated, so most of us have a little bit of each personality profile, but tend to lean more heavily on one or two. No one profile is better than another—it’s just another tool to give you a better understanding of yourself and those around you.

4 Main Personality Profiles (DISC): And Tips for How to Approach Each in Sales Conversations

Dominance Personality Type

These are the people who are often assertive and like to be in charge of the conversation. They care about progress and results above all else and can sometimes come across as forceful or harsh in their communication.

Answer the questions: What’s in it for me? When will I get results? 

Avoid this pitfall: Don’t put them into a corner. They need to feel in control of the conversation. 

Influence Personality Type

This personality type is the life of the party. They value people and relationships above all else. They aren’t as concerned with the details as they are about how something makes them feel. They tend to act on their intuition instead of hard data and hard facts. They buy because they like you. 

Answer this question: Who’s coming to the party? Who else did this work for? 

Avoid this pitfall: When you get a yes, don’t wait! Get their commitment as soon as possible before they move on to something else.

Steadiness Personality Type

If personality types were dog breeds, this one would be the Golden Retriever. They are steady, dependable, loyal, and loveable. They value cooperation and sincerity, fairness and justice. They care about the people around them—often placing the needs of others above their own. 

Answer these questions: How will this affect others? Is it a fair price? What will my coworkers or clients get from it? 

Try this: Give them time to think things through. Follow-up is important. 

Conscientious Personality Type

This personality type is analytical, reserved, and systematic. They value accuracy and want to really understand the ins and outs of how something will work before they make a decision. 

Answer these questions: Why? Why does it work this way? Why is this in the contract? Show me the numbers.

Try this: Come prepared with lots of data. If you can’t answer all of the “why” questions, it’s OK to find out and get back to them when you have the information they need to make a decision.

What personality type do you have the most trouble selling to?