If you are a quarterly visitor to my blog you will know that recently, we have been developing a new leadership suite of programmes and this has led me to further explore what I term "Personality Types" and Merrill & Reid call "Social Styles" in their excellent book "Knowing About public Styles".
There are four personality types or public styles - Analyticals, Drivers, Expressives and Amiables - and all four have their own unique approach to business, their own language and conception processes etc. As a consequence, the very best sales professionals have become adept at recognising which personality they are dealing with and adapt their approach and transportation style accordingly.
In every boardroom, you will always find three of the four personality types, occasionally, all four: I have discovered over the years which personality is likely to fill which position on the board but more on that later.
The Driver:
Let's begin by looking at the characteristics of the Driver. Drivers are activity and goal oriented, need to see results and have a quick reaction time. They are decisive, independent, disciplined, practical and efficient. They typically use facts and data, speak and act quickly, lean forward, point and make direct eye contact. Their body posture is often rigid and they have controlled facial expressions.
They rarely want to waste time on personal talk or preliminaries and can be perceived by other styles as dominating or harsh and severe in pursuance of a goal. They are comfortable in positions of power and operate and they have businesslike offices with certificates and commendations on the wall. In times of stress, drivers may become autocratic.
The Analytical:
Analyticals are implicated with being organised, having all the facts and being rigorous before taking action. Their need is to be accurate, to be right. Precise, orderly, methodical and conform to standard operating procedures, organisational rules and historical ways of doing things. They typically have a slow reaction time and work more slowly and determined than Drivers. They are perceived as serious, industrious, persistent, and exacting.
Usually, they are task oriented, use facts and data, tend to speak slowly. Lean back and use their hands frequently. They do not make direct eye taste and operate their facial expressions. Others may see them as stuffy, indecisive, critical, picky and moralistic. They are comfortable in positions in which they can check facts and figures and be sure they are right. They have neat, well organised offices and in times of stress, Analyticals tend to avoid conflict.
The Expressive:
Expressives enjoy involvement, excitement, and interpersonal action. They are sociable, stimulating, enthusiastic and are good at inspiring and motivating others. They are also ideas oriented. Have limited concern for routine, are time to come oriented and regularly they have a quick reaction time. They need to be standard by others, tend to be spontaneous, outgoing, energetic, amiable and focused on people rather than on tasks. Typically, they use opinions and stories rather than facts and data. They speak and act quickly; vary vocal inflection, lean forward, point and make direct eye contact.
They use their hands when talking; have a relaxed body posture and an inspiring expression. Their feelings often show in their faces and they are perceived by others as excitable, impulsive, undisciplined, dramatic, manipulative, ambitious, overly reactive and egotistical. They regularly have disorganised offices and may have relaxation equipment like golf clubs or tennis racquets. Under stressful conditions, Expressives tend to resort to personal attack.
And ultimately - The Amiable:
Amiables need co-operation, personal security and acceptance. They are uncomfortable with and will avoid disagreement at all costs. They value personal relationships, helping others and being liked. Some Amiables will sell out their own desires to win approval from others. They prefer to work with other people in a team effort, rather than individually and they have an leisurely reaction time and limited concern with effecting change. Typically, they are friendly, supportive, respectful, willing, reliable and agreeable. They are also people-oriented.
They use opinions rather than facts and data, speak slowly and softly, use more vocal inflection than Drivers or Analyticals. They lean back while talking and do not make direct eye contact; they also have a casual posture and an inspiring expression. They are perceived by other styles as conforming, unsure, pliable, dependent and awkward. They have homely offices - family photographs, plants etc. An Amiable's reaction to stress is to comply with others.
Most people's first reaction after reading the four profiles is to believe that they fit into more than one kind and this is absolutely right. However, every person has a dominant style and no-one should believe that they fit into more than two because they don't. Let me construe why:
The public Styles Model:
It is not inherent to construe with a diagram here, so imagine two boxes on top of two other boxes or if you prefer, a window with four panes. In the top left is the Analytical, top right the Driver, directly below them in the bottom right hand angle is the Expressive. Finally, directly below the Analytical, sitting in the bottom left hand angle is the Amiable
Note where each style is placed, because this is important. The people, with whom you probably find it most difficult to describe to naturally, are your diagonal opposites on the matrix. So you do need to study the characteristics of your diagonally opposite public Style.
Now, what I can share with you, is that the majority of expert salespeople are Expressives; so clearly, they are going to find it most difficult to describe to and describe with, Analyticals. That is a challenge in itself, because there will always be at least one Analytical within the formal Dmu!
What is even more interesting, is that Top 5% achievers (yes, a favourite term I know) are Drivers! So you see, they have no mystery getting onto the same wavelength as Analyticals, because they are side by side and of procedure they have total synergy with other Drivers, plus, they describe well to Expressives. But, they have limited in coarse with Amiables. Why is that so significant? Well, quite simply, the public Style that you are least likely to find in a boardroom is........ Yes, it's an Amiable.
So, which public Style do the varied residents of the boardroom typically have?
Managing Directors are typically Drivers, as you might expect.
Finance Directors are regularly Analyticals
Sales Directors are nearly always Expressives
Marketing Directors are also Expressives
Technical Directors are practically always Analyticals
And Finally:In Sales
Level 3, Top 5% Achievers, are regularly Drivers
Level 2, Sales Professionals, are typically Expressives
Level One, Emerging salesmen and women are practically always Amiables
It is of procedure dangerous to generalise and there will always be exceptions, however based on my experience, I have very rarely been mistaken using this conception of personality identification.
Copyright © 2008 Jonathan Farrington. All ownership reserved
