Selling to stars
I recently learned that a client of mine sold a car to an absolute icon of alternative music.
My lips, of course, are sealed on who that is.
But I can tell you this: That individual may have participated in a lot of recreational chemicals over the years.
And the sober-but-energetic sales consultant who “upped” the star? It was a match made in heaven.
The sales manager told me later, “Only [INSERT SALES CONSULTANT’S NAME HERE] could have sold that car. They matched energy for energy.”
I have seen the opposite happen, though.
The sales manager sees a repeat customer coming through the door. She then sees a great salesman–who she knows from experience will not connect with this customer–shake hands.
“Oh no,” she whispers. It just isn’t the right fit.
But shouldn’t you treat all customers the same? Does it really matter who serves them?
The answer: It sure does matter–unless the employee has the ability to adapt to the customer’s style.
The two questions
Some people see DISC as a way to better understand themselves and a way to get teams to work together. It is certainly both of those things.
We’ve talked extensively on this blog about the DISC model of behavior styles. Hip Socket’s Resources page has the articles and handouts archived.
But let’s not forget that DISC also is an amazing opportunity to adapt yourself to the customer you are serving.
As revealed in an earlier post, you can do that with two questions:
- Are they fast or slow?
- Are they people-oriented or task-oriented?
If you observe a customer’s initial behaviors and answer these questions, you may be able to “place their dot” on the DISC chart–and adapt accordingly.
That’s a simplified way of looking at it. Check out this post for more, but here’s what the questions are driving at:
- Does this person prefer to be active in their environment, or are they more inclined to thoughtfulness?
- Does it come naturally for them to be more accepting of the world, or are they more comfortable by first questioning?
Once you know these answers, you can adapt. You want them to feel comfortable with you so they can make the right decision for them. If you have them doing the opposite, it will be a lot of extra work on their part.
That will probably not help sales.
Practically speaking
So what does that adapting look like in the wild? Here are some examples. I use a retail store here–but this works for restaurant patrons, clients over coffee and so on.
A customer enters with a sheaf of literature printed out from the Internet. He’s not smiling and says he is not buying today and has a lot of questions he needs answered about your product. That sounds like a slow mover who is questioning, not accepting.
He’s probably a C (Conscientious) style. Make sure he knows you can expertly answer his questions–if you can’t, show him you can expertly get the answer. Be prepared to show examples and data that verify your claims. Offer to continue the conversation via email or text so they can digest (i.e., be thoughtful). Ask, “Have you received enough information to make a good decision?”
Another customer enters and looks around, making eye contact with staff. He spends time in the greeting interacting with staff instead of getting to a cut-and-dried question. When he does discuss his needs, it’s like he’s sharing a story of what he has experienced.
That sounds like an I (Influential) style. Share your story with the product or brand, letting him get to know you and appreciate your enthusiasm. Make it fun.
A quieter gentleman slides in, asking for help. While he is reserved, he is pleasant and is clearly listening to everything you are saying. It seems like he is trying to take it all in.
That is a thoughtfully slow S (Steady) style. It will help to express that you want to make sure he gets taken care of. You could point out what other customers have done with similar situations. Ask, “What do you think you’ll need to feel comfortable making this decision?”
A woman comes in with her head up, telling you she wants to buy a particular product and that she is in a hurry. She is doing more talking than listening, but knows what she wants.
That is a fast-moving, task-oriented D (Dominant) style. Since you aren’t clear the product really is what they need, you can offer to save them time by asking some questions about how they will use it. Focus on the impact the product will have in their lives. Ensure you give them choices so they feel in the driver’s seat.
These are broad, broad brush strokes. There is certainly some overlap in the approaches. But they get at human nature–I suspect, like me, you have adapted in some of these ways for decades.
If you want to go deeper on a particular style, let’s connect. Hip Socket offers a version of Wiley’s DiSC assessment that focuses on not only understanding your style but on recognizing and adapting to customers’ styles.
And keep watching this blog for more DISC tips in the future.