Tailoring Business Strategies to Individual Traits

Managing and Motivating People

People are different but the skills to manage, market and sell to them are the same. These are the skills that successful businesses master.

But a lot of firms I meet aren’t doing this. They treat people like numbers on a spreadsheet or units of sales.

When they treat people as a cost, people treat them as a pay check to be maximised for the minimum of effort. When these businesses want to expand they have no choice but to make expensive hires.

The companies that count people as units of sales risk buyers walking away. Their clients leave terrible reviews and customers churn.

What are they missing?

Change My Mind

Managing, marketing and selling are about changing people’s minds. This requires a change in their emotional state. Whether it’s fear, anxiety or excitement, without an emotional shift people stay right where they are.

The first step to moving people is building trust. This flows both ways and if you don’t trust an employee or a client, do not expect them to trust you.

Thereafter you establish credibility. If you want people to change you must appeal to their personality type. Each type has a leadership style to which they respond best.

Adaptive Strategies

The first written record of personality types was by Hippocrates almost 2,500 years ago. He identified four types of people he called earth, fire, water and air. Every theory about character and personality since then, builds on these insights.

People are impassioned about personality types, especially those selling tests. They waste hours arguing over methods, when it’s what you do with the analysis that matters. I use four types for three reasons:

1. Four has stood the test of time

2. Mine align with the buying objections of budget, authority, need and time

3. We have one of each type in my household and I’m familiar with the traits.

The Controller

Controllers are organised networkers and make solid number twos to detail-focused CEOs. They fear failure however, and are quick to attribute blame.

The Cheerleader

Cheerleaders are people pleasers who keep everyone involved and work well on teams. But they are frightened of rejection and struggle to make decisions.

The Calculator

The detailed focused technician quoting facts and figures is a Calculator. They are trusted to get things done. They hate to be wrong and can be poor team players.

The Complier

This is a high energy multi-tasking person who volunteers for everything. They appear at the heart of a business. But they loathe being left out and miss deadlines to ensure they have a say.

Leadership styles

The Champion

The Controller who takes responsibility steps up to be a Champion. This is an all-action leader who appeals to the Cheerleader’s need for authority.

The Embracer

Cheerleaders who overcome their fear of rejection become inclusive and supportive leaders. They appeal to a Controller’s desire to feel valued which allows them to accept responsibility.

The Guide

Calculators who recognise more than one way of doing things become effective Guides. This leadership style helps the Complier focus on achieving goals.

The Joker

The Joker sees all sides and knows what to say and when. They diffuse the self-importance of Calculators and assign them the tasks to which they are best suited.

Exercise: Know Your Personality

These are four statements that align with each of the personality types. Rank them from most to least important. Then do the same for someone close to you, at work or at home.

1. It’s important to be organised and efficient

2. It’s important to be sure of the facts and figures

3. It’s important to be aware of the feelings of others

4. It’s important to be open-minded and try new things.

Now ask the person to do the same for themselves and for you. Compare results.

Working with Strategies and Styles

Try and match leadership styles with adaptive strategies when assigning managers or resolving disputes. To be an effective leader you must be able to adopt the characteristics of all four leadership styles.

Marketing and presentation materials must appeal to the four personalities. You do this by addressing objections about budget, authority, need and time.

When selling it is important to identify the adaptive strategy of the buyer. Do not mimic it, but rather adopt the leadership trait that most appeals to their personality.

I'm Simon Maughan and I write The Profit Elevator as a guide for B2B firms seeking faster growth. Managing and Motivating People is the theme of The Management Mentality Map in my P.R.O.F.I.T. Through Process Planner.

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