COMMANDERS

Commanders are reserved and controlled in their speech and body language. They may fold their arms across their chest and they often make direct eye contact. They are planners—precise, orderly, serious, and methodical.

Commanders’ work spaces and homes are extremely organized. Their folders and filing systems are set up logically for the way they work. “Everything in its place” may be their motto. They tend to be conservative dressers and use more formal language. They are practical, diligent, persistent, and like to solve problems.

Working Style

Commanders are analytical, logical, and systematic, and their decisions are data-driven. They are planners and can be critical of others’ plans or lack thereof. Commanders do not need a lot of social interaction within the work day and often run very agenda-driven meetings. Commanders generally do not appreciate a lot of small talk in meetings. This does not mean they are not interested in others. They just prefer to get to the agenda and if there is time at the end, often will engage in more personal conversation.

They are competitive and like to win with their ideas and actions. Taken to the extreme, they can be seen as bureaucratic.

Commanders are usually very prompt and become irritated when others are not. They will ask for calendar invitations, pay very close attention to details, and want specifics for any requests for information and deadlines. They may bog down decisions with analysis and strive for accuracy, and they will spend the time needed to “get it done right.”

Word Choices Commanders’ language is more formal and includes thinking words such as “why,” “review,” “compare,” “validity,” “analyze,” “logic,” and “control.” Common phrases include, “How do you know?” “What proof is there to support that idea?” “What’s the primary source?” “Research shows,” and “Is that an opinion or suggestion?”

Level of Detail Commanders prefer and use a high level of detail. They are the people who will find the typos in your materials and point them out to you. They will review details over and over and want to know how information was calculated, determined, or secured. The accuracy of the data is as important as the depth and quantity.

Fears Common fears for Commanders include missing something, being wrong, losing, being criticized, and dealing with emotions—anyone’s emotions: theirs, their colleagues, or yours.

Value That Commanders Want from You

Commanders know what they want. They generally have completed their own research, and their first questions to you may be about your knowledge. They will often test sellers at the beginning of a relationship to ensure they can trust their information and proposed solutions.

Commanders look for a seller who is accurate and can help them be right. They want substance and an organized approach to the sale, relationship, and solution. Commanders want to be involved in all decisions related to their situation, and their ideas and opinions need to be acknowledged. They like options with detailed pros and cons presented to them for analysis.