by Michele Gillis, Staff Writer
Judy Hicks of Re/Max Coastal Real Estate knows she sometimes has to tone down her personality when working with some clients.
That plays out with a couple she’s working with, whose style is the opposite of hers.
“While they like my enthusiasm and passion,” Hicks said, “they really just want the numbers and information.”
Learning how to deal with different customers is something Hicks learned from the results of a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator she took years ago. She uses that information in her business and personal life.
Personality profiling, such as Myers-Briggs or DiSC Assessment, can help you determine what type of personality you have and help you when dealing with others.
“The first step in personality profiling is to understand you,” said Stephen Tufts of Keller Williams Realty, who spoke recently about the DiSC Assessment at a St. Augustine Women’s Council of Realtors meeting.
According to Tufts, personality profiling is the understanding of how a person’s basic personality will affect his or her behavior.
The DiSC Assessment measures four areas: dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness.
Myers-Briggs measures preferences in how people see the world and how they make decisions. For example, the test determines whether a person has the preference of an extroverted attitude vs. and introverted attitude.
Different personalities receive information in different ways, so if you can figure out what someone needs, you can adjust your delivery to make a smooth flow of information for your customer.
“You can actually predict how someone will respond to a situation by what their personality profile is,” said Tufts.
Tufts said he plans to ask new agents to come in with a resume and a DiSC profile so he can better understand where they may fit in his company. Also, when a new client comes in, he tries to figure out the person’s personality to find a compatible agent to pair them with.
Cues that help you to determine a person’s personality without a test can include body language, habits, occupation, living space, verbal cues and written communication.
For example, one customer might say, “How long is this going to take?” where another will say, “Come on in, I’ll show you the house and we’ll have some cookies and talk.”
According to Tufts, with personality profiling, you can find out how your customers make decisions and what to do to make them act.
“In a business setting, if you understand a person’s personality, you can communicate with them in such a way to make them act,” Tufts said. “If you communicate with them in the wrong way they are likely to not act.”
Jan Spence, a trainer, speaker and consultant from Jan Spence and Associates, spoke recently at a Northeast Florida Association of Realtor beaches meeting and said that various personality types can often cause frustration in the work environment.
Spence said people are different and those styles need to be honored in order to be able to work together.
“It’s natural to expect people to respond, act and react as we do,” said Spence. “Once we recognize and accept that we’re are all different, we can maintain a certain amount of respect for each other.”
Spence said recognizing this will reduces stress and helps understand that people are just coming from a different perspective. Not right or wrong – just different.
Karen Palmer of Coldwell Banker Premier Properties strongly believes in personality profiles.
She said most sales people are motivators so they relate well to other motivators, but that can go awry if the spouse of a customer is the opposite.
“They can think they have the sale in the bag because their prospect is a fellow motivator,” said Palmer. “They are agreeing on everything and can make quick decisions. But, many times a spouse will be the opposite, so after they are alone, the spouse will say they won’t deal with the sales person because they were ignored.”
The opposite can happen, too.
She recalled a sales person who felt he needed to give “every bit of information he knew” to a customer.
“He wouldn’t quit giving out all the information and even would let a prospect walk out the door without buying because he had to give them all the information,” Palmer said.
Palmer said she has always believed you should “match and mirror” the personality that includes the speed of your talk, body motions and speed of questions. And never forget the other person they may be with.