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Naturally, all clients have different types of personalities.
A property purchase is an important buying decision and it highlights these differences even more. Variances in personality types mean clients have unique preferences to how they want to be sold to, how they take in information about a property and how they make the buying decision.
Being aware of personality types can help you adjust your sales approach to your client’s personality preferences. When these preferences are met, chances are clients will be more open to the sales process, they’ll absorb more of the key selling points and possibly be more comfortable making a buying decision.
Ignoring these preferences could potentially mean a lost sales opportunity.
Thankfully, you don’t need to be a psychologist to understand personality types. Just being aware of behavioural cues can provide insight into your client’s preferences. To illustrate this point, let’s imagine two fictional clients, Rebecca and Mary.
Rebecca arrives at the viewing having already done research on the neighbourhood. She prefers talking about the facts of the house and avoids discussions related to feelings and emotions. She likes asking questions to test the sales agent to help her determine if she can trust the information presented to her. The best approach to take with this personality type is to remain factual, keep interactions short and professional. The less small talk, the better. A logical, transparent and step-by-step approach will build trust with Rebecca.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Mary is already imagining what her lifestyle could be like in the new house as soon as she walks through the door. She’s also curious about the previous family who lived there and what they were like. It’s important for her to experience harmony in her relationships, even with the other clients she has just met at the open house. The best approach here is to follow her train of thought as she is already brainstorming ideas on how to improve the house. Establishing a personal connection is key with Mary, and finding a likeable sales agent for her is just as important as the house she decides to buy.
These examples show how clients’ personality types can require a custom approach during the sales process. However, having self-awareness of your own personality type is just as important as understanding your clients. If you have a strong preference for keeping discussions formal, impersonal and to the point, then your style might be preferred by Rebecca but might not sit well with Mary. Knowing your own behavioural preferences and who you are dealing with gives you the opportunity to adapt your style and approach.
The good news is that knowledge about personality types is no longer reserved for expensive leadership courses in large corporates. Smaller companies and teams also understand how a deeper understanding of client behaviour is essential to sales success. There are many options in the market to help your sales team think about personality types and their own sales style. It’s an investment which not only yields positive sales results, but also increases harmony within the team and workplace. Something Mary would agree is absolutely essential!
By Werner Kruger, People Code consultancy owner
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