Debbie was upset when her client canceled yet again. She had sent him the list of dates and times they mutually selected for their meetings. She even texted him the day before to confirm their appointment. Yet once more he backed out at the last minute. What more could she do to communicate and work effectively with him?
Roger couldn’t believe that his clients consulted another real estate agent during the 2-days he was out of town. He had prepared them for this fact well in advance and gave them business cards they could hand out at an open house in case they visited one during his absence. He instructed the couple to leave a card with the broker. They agreed. So when a colleague called on Monday with the news, Roger felt hurt.
Although both Debbie and Roger acted professionally and with good intention, they failed to take into account their clients’ personality styles. They were tied to their own ways of doing business. Their communication came from their own preferred method and they assumed that the other party thought and behaved from the same set of values. Wrong!
Closing more sales and securing clients comes from identifying each person’s way of making decisions and matching it. It requires getting untied and out of your comfort zone.
In Debbie’s situation, she liked things planned out, structured, and detailed. So naturally, if she made an appointment, nothing could interfere with keeping it short of illness or an expected event. Yet her client was spontaneous, impulsive, and scattered. He didn’t like restrictions especially if something more exciting came up in comparison to this scheduled meeting. He felt no urgency in their getting business done.
Roger played by the rules and expected his clients to do likewise. He had been extremely giving of his time and attention, showing property after property. He had lavished them with information. He and the husband had bonded, both recognizing that the wife was flighty, excitable, and judgmental. Did she have no consideration of the relationship? Her behavior had nothing to do with Roger; rather it was simply her desire to get things done rapidly.
To retain their clients and communicate more effectively, both Debbie and Roger have to shift themselves to match their clients’ manner of behavior. They have to untie the knots of how they did things in the past. When they do so, they’ll be rewarded with easier interactions and more sales.
About Dr. Nancy Zare
A psychologist and retired professor, Dr. Nancy Zare has dedicated her life to helping people communicate more effectively. She earned her masters and doctorate from Boston College and is past president of the National Speakers Association of New England. She is the author of the books, Workplace Hostility, Myth and Reality, and Closing More Sales: Introduction to AlikeAbility™ as well as numerous articles.
From her experience in both business to business and business to consumer sales, Nancy originated the AlikeAbility™ System to teach people how to read personality styles, build better relationships, and generate more business. She has started an online membership service to support sales professionals and entrepreneurs in tracking and developing success habits. Ask for your complimentary AlikeAbility(TM) Assessment to learn about where your personality style might get you stuck.
