By
Bob Phibbs
Updated August 29, 2024
Personality styles can make or break your retail sales training...
Imagine you were just plopped into a car parked on the side of a road. You don’t know how to drive, what a road is, or how to get the car to run.
You try different things and eventually start the car, pull onto the road, and learn the rules, but not without encountering bumps.
Being successful when you first meet people, whether in a store, someone’s home, the workplace, or even at a PTSA meeting, is much the same. We try all kinds of things.
Many have sought shortcuts to building relationships and to understanding and managing people. When they find a roadmap full of signs telling them what to do and not to do, they get to their destination quickly and enjoy the journey.
Selling doesn't have to be hit-or-miss.
When I first started out in retail, I had a hit-or-miss sales philosophy. Customers were either interested in what I was selling or they weren’t.
But as I progressed in my career, I began to see that there were definite “types” with whom I instantly built rapport and other “types” with whom I felt like I was hitting my head against a wall.
It turns out I wasn’t the first to discover this. The ancient Greeks identified four personality styles, which we now call the Driver, the Analytical, the Expressive, and the Amiable.
Once I understood the four archetypes, I could discover my strengths and weaknesses and how different types of customers perceived me. I could also quickly identify customers’ personality styles and give each one the service that would lead them to buy.
When I discovered one day that it was important for one customer to buy something quickly just because she loved it, I could stand by and keep my mouth shut because I recognized that she was an Expressive personality.
When I found out that certain guys - in this case, engineers who worked down the street - got themselves and me so frustrated because they were Analyticals with a natural focus on minutia, I could easily modify how I talked to them.
And that’s when my sales really took off.
Why?
Because customers want to buy from people who will listen and talk like the customer needs them to.
No, not by saying, “Howdy y’all,” or calling them “Sweetie,” or slapping them on the back.
When I traveled that road to learning personality styles, I learned to listen and talk in a way that turned customers into buyers. And isn’t that what we all want them to do?
This was a landmark discovery because it wasn’t trying to make those "darn customers" understand ME; it was about me understanding and responding to them based on these four personality archetypes.
If you’re a Driver, your main goal is to get it done. You need to get this new course because it will help you round off those gruff edges and reduce some people’s main complaints about you - that you can come off arrogant.
You need to get this if you’re an Analytical because it makes sense. Fewer hours lost trying to train, sell, or manage without a plan.
If you’re an Expressive, you want to have more fun in your job and your personal life. It would help if you got this because it will encourage even more people like you.
If you’re an Amiable, you want to get along without conflict. This self-paced course easily shows you how the other three personalities operate and how you can avoid frustration and conflict with those at work and in your family.
See also, How To Use Personality Styles To Improve Conversion Rates
In Sum
Recognizing and adapting to different personality styles enables retail associates to create more meaningful interactions, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. By tailoring their sales techniques to match the personality of each shopper, retailers can enhance the in-store experience, driving both engagement and conversion rates. This approach aligns with the growing demand for personalized shopping experiences, a trend reshaping retail.
Moreover, with the rise of omnichannel retailing, understanding customer personality styles can also play a crucial role in creating seamless shopping experiences across all platforms. Whether a customer is browsing online, engaging through social media, or shopping in-store, the ability to cater to their unique preferences and behaviors ensures a cohesive and satisfying experience. Retailers prioritizing this personalized approach are better positioned to build strong, lasting customer relationships, ultimately driving long-term growth and success.
Remember, there are no bad or good personality styles. We all have elements of all four.
When you understand your predominant personality style, you can see your strengths and things that can trip you up.
Understanding all four personality styles helps you modify how you talk to your shopper during the opening 20 seconds of a retail sale so they can hear you better, build trust, and ... make the sale.
