Tribal Types: Work and Sell with Buyers the Way They Want to Be Worked With

“Dealing with people is probably the biggest problem you face, especially if you are in business. Yes, and that is also true if you are a housewife, architect or engineer.”

—DALE CARNEGIE

People are complex. What works well for your approach, word choices, and pace in one conversation may implode in another. Some people need to know every option and piece of information and will describe ideas and stories in every nitty-gritty detail; some have no real interest in you as a person, their interest is only in what you can do for them. Still others want to be your new best friend and the business at hand or important decisions can wait. And then there are those people who seem to need assurance and supporting data before they will do or decide anything.

As discussed in Chapter 3, using a system yields many benefits, but a system that involves people also presents unique challenges! Though the WIIFT sales system is easily learned, its implementation for each conversation is significantly impacted by the person in the conversation with you. That’s why the WIIFT system, a people system, needs to be adjusted for each individual and situation.

It can be frustrating figuring out how to get people what they need or want in each conversation. Having a model to assist you in understanding the different types of people is extremely valuable. Using models to understand people’s unique behaviors or personalities is not a new concept; there are many models that describe individuals’ unique characteristics.

In sales and service roles, where meeting dozens of people in one day is the norm, it’s not easy to identify and use many of the models and assessment information immediately during a conversation. Having an “in the moment” tool to identify and adapt to the working style and communication preferences of others is most helpful.