Recently I attended a lunch through the Women in Leadership group in the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. The President of the division I work for is a woman who is active in the group and usually sponsors a table at these lunches so we can go and enjoy ourselves. Luckily for me, it's about 10 minutes from my store so it's the perfect getaway for a couple of hours. It's a good chance to chat with other leaders in SW, like other store managers, and people from credit and HR. Although, it's generally the same 6-8 of us that attend, so it's really great.
This time we learned about 4 different personality types that everyone fits into. This really changed my view of myself and gave me a great deal of peace with why I am the way I am. I've struggled with not being the 'perfect' store manager, being too 'soft' and talking too much, sharing too much information, being a stick in the mud about bending the rules, and wondering why I care more about my life outside work than anything that could possibly happen at work.
I think I am about 90% BLUE with a little bit of GOLD thrown in. And when the speaker described the BLUE personality, it was the one I liked best, and the one I wanted to be. It really made me proud to be me!
BLUE
Jobs they enjoy: Counselor, Teacher, HR manager, Social Services worker
Type of buyer: relationship, decisions from their heart
How to sell: don't pressure, focus on people aspects
How to motivate: encourage creativity, appreciation, support them, give attention
What is in their office: family/pet pictures, artwork
Common objections: risk, will all agree with decision?
What they value: cooperation, acceptance, relationships, integrity
Conversation style: friendly, empathetic listener, questions to relate, warm jokes
Decision/Interaction style: likes consensus, decides when it feels right, likes safety, nurturer
GOLD
Jobs they enjoy: project manager, professor, attorney, CPA/Accountant
Type of buyer: bottom line, needs research to buy
How to sell: pros & cons, be formal and on time
How to motivate: put in charge, praise their judgement, public recognition, follow through
What is in their office: mission/vision statements, corporate information, neat/orderly
Common objections: financial aspects, risk/return on investment, impact to company
What they value: completion, dedication, security, structure
Conversation style: serious, good listener, formal conversation, no jokes
Decision/Interaction style: decisive- needs a prudent reason, decides when time is right, change is disruptive, likes security, organizer
GREEN
Jobs they enjoy: scientist, engineer, computer programmer, graphic designer
Type of buyer: skeptical, detailed, logical
How to sell: don't rush, be succinct, give detail
How to motivate: praise insight, support ideas, involve them in decisions, encourage new ideas
What is in their office: books, inventions, science themes
Common objections: functionality, need more detail, is it the right solution?
What they value: competence, efficiency, innovation, technology
Conversation style: inquisitive, listens for information, succinct conversation, no jokes but wit
Decision/Interaction style: needs logical reason to decide, decides when all information is available, change is invigorating, researcher, ideas creator
ORANGE
Jobs they enjoy: marketing specialist, sales person, public speaker, craftsperson
Type of buyer: impulse, negotiator, risk taker
How to sell: key benefits, brief overview, latest & greatest
How to motivate: compliment, focus on results, focus on them, get excited
What is in their office: trophies, plaques, vacations
Common objections: price, the right results, value and immediate benefits
What they value: competition, talent, winning, incentives
Conversation style: jovial, short attention span, dominate conversation, use humor
Decision/Interaction style: decisive/impulsive, decides when enthusiastic, change is exciting, likes risk, motivational, energizer, big picture
GOLD makes the rules, ORANGE breaks the rules, GREEN questions the rules, and BLUE follows the rules.
Also, I realised I was a BLUE when he said, "Have you ever thanked someone for thanking you?" Why, yes I have! All the time.
So what color are you?
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