Making MBTI Work For Sales Teams

This is the second in our series of posts focussed on the application of MBTI for sales teams. Our training and development programme considers the vital missing piece of the jigsaw in most MBTI based training for sales: understanding the natural preferred style of the customer and flexing our selling to better connect with them.

Moving to scale 3 – Thinking to Feeling

For each of the MBTI ‘scales’ we are considering three ‘BIG QUESTIONS’ which sales teams need to answer in order to flex their style with confidence as shown below –

How do we spot the ‘scale’ position [ or style type ] with confidence
What selling style/techniques will a customer with this preferred style type best respond to
How should we communicate to better ‘connect’ with a customer of this type

We will now consider the above questions for the third MBTI ‘scale’ – Thinking to Feeling
Firstly a reminder of what we mean by Thinking versus Feeling in the MBTI context. This scale is all about the basis for our decision making – whether we make our decisions for emotionally driven reasons [ Feeling ] or rational/logical reasons [ Thinking ]. An example often used in MBTI training is that if finding a badly injured animal at the side of the road. Would you kill the animal in order to put it out of it’s pain/suffering [ a Thinking response ] or wrap your arms around it, comfort it and look to move it to a veterinary surgeon as quickly as possible [ a Feeling response ].
This scale has obvious application to sales – the key to good selling is to understand the core motivators of your customer contacts and to match your product/service benefits against motivators. Knowing that a contact is driven by emotional [ Feeling ] motivators rather than logical [ Thinking ] ones should radically change your whole pitch.
Let’s now consider our three BIG QUESTIONS in turn –
1. How do we spot this characteristic with confidence

THINKERS LOOK FOR:

A fact based approach to decision making
Will look for and examine evidence
Requirement for more time to process all the available information before arriving at a decision
Often want to sleep on a decision
Do not openly talk about their feelings [ or those of others ]
Generally of a stable/calm disposition
Can be described as ‘all business’ or somewhat cold
Harder to read body language – quite controlled and reserved

FEELERS LOOK FOR:

Automatically consider the feelings/emotional responses of others when considering a business proposal.
Less inclined to detail and process – more to impact on people
Will show their feelings/mood quite openly
Can make decisions quickly if the decision ‘feels’ right
Can exhibit mood swings – good and bad days
Will often want to refer decisions to others – take counsel before final decision.
Open body language showing emotions – fill the space

Now let’s consider what selling style/techniques a customer with this style type best respond to ?
Utilise the guidelines below when selling –

THINKERS:

Provide a fully quantified and fact based proposal – make the decision ‘feel’ logical
Provide references and case studies
Stick to business – minimise small talk
Send detail in advance
Present in a slower and step by step manner
Expect slower decisions – allow them time to think
Do not expect enthusiasm – a thoughtful/studious response
Use silence – put your ideas forward in a fact based way then SHUT-UP and wait for their response.
Listen very carefully – they are likely to be quietly spoken/thoughtful.

FEELERS:

Ensure you include the impact on people in all pitches [ think about physical and emotional responses ]
Pictures/visuals more than words/numbers
Minimise detail and process [ have as an appendix or attachment ]
Take time for small talk and get to know them personally before asking for major decisions
Keep energy and enthusiasm high in pitches – physically demonstrate your belief in what you are selling
Watch body language – their degree of buy-in will often be obvious.
Ask lots of questions – involve them

Finally we focus on how we should communicate to better ‘connect’ with a customer of each preference –

THINKERS:

With precision
Slowly and calmly
Supported by facts
Lots of numbers, graphs, charts to build credibility
Controlled but quietly confident body language
Use carefully chosen language to build legitimacy

FEELERS:

With enthusiasm
Faster and shorter pitches
Support with pictures/images
Show your belief physically
Energising words/phrases
Talk to the individual not the business [ third person ]

As stated previously – it is a congruent combination of several of the above ‘flexes’ which will create a truly powerful selling argument – one which both sells effectively whilst building rapport and trust progressively.
In our MBTI for sales teams training, delegates practice both spotting types accurately and flexing their selling approach to connect powerfully with customers.
The above list is by no means exhaustive – look for other ‘clues’ in speech, body language and social preferences to help you.
2. Effective selling to extraverts vs introverts
Utilise the guidelines below when selling –

Extraverts:

Keep presentations/pitches shorter
Use pictures/visuals more than words
Keep your personal energy high
Express obvious belief in what you are selling
Vary your tone – regular high energy injections are critical to maintain engagement
Get them involved in developing the solution
Forget pre-meeting work
Close early – sale can be very fast

Introverts:

Provide the detail
Provide evidence – words supported by pictures
Remain calm and paced
Focus on quiet credibility
Consistent authoritative tone/delivery
Provide ‘expert opinion’
Send pre-work/reading in advance
Provide time for reflection – they may genuinely ‘want to sleep on it’

3. Communicate better to connect more effectively

Extraverts:

High energy
Faster pace
Repeat carefully chosen motivational words
[ often focussed on major customer benefits ]
Focus on simple ‘storyline’
Focus on outcomes

Introverts:

Calm Clear
Regular/slower pace
The devil is in the detail
Fact/evidence based
Credible references and quotes matter
Outline processes impacted

A word of caution – look for congruence in customer communications – sales people need to find several clues to type before deciding on their flexing.
In our MBTI training we simulate both the spotting of types in ‘real-world’ situations and the flexing of delivery to better connect with customers.
In the next article we will consider the Myers Briggs Sensing to Intuition scale and how knowledge of your customers type can allow flexing of selling style.

Have a view on this? Tweet to @customerattune or Tweet to @MarkHollyoake

MBTI For Sales Teams – Part 2

Read more about MBTI for Sales Teams:

Read more about MBTI for Sales Teams:

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