Is it the handshake, the way you dress for the meeting, the way you present yourself? How does Bonding & Rapport actually work? Some strategies include finding a common interest or a mutual connection, but how do you truly bond with a prospect? Why is it that when we have interactions with people, sometimes the conversation feels effortless, they just seem to ‘get’ you. Other conversations take a ton of energy and effort, people struggle to connect with you, and you leave the interaction scratching your head trying to understand why they don’t get it? Usually when this happens, it is because you aren’t communicating in a manner that the prospect can connect with.
DISC is a powerful tool that assists people in understanding different behavior styles. This will not only help you communicate more effectively, but more importantly it will help you to understand how others like to communicate.
DISC has 4 behavior styles: Dominant, Influencer, Steady Relator & Compliant. No behavior style is better than another, the purpose of the styles are for you to understand how you are seen by others and how you can adapt your style to connect more effectively with different types of people.
D-Style: They are typically strong minded, assertive and at times can be impatient because of their drive to get things done. They also tend to focus on the Big Picture and don’t get caught up in details. Dominant personalities are not the most excited to have small talk they are more driven to get to the matter at hand, so be brief in your pleasantries.
I-Style: Out of the four styles, these are the social butterflies. I-styles like to be the center of attention. These individuals love to persuade and are optimistic of what the future holds. Influencers tend to be chatty and at times, are not the best at organization. Be sure not to ignore them as they crave attention and lack attention to detail. Be sure to give I’s the ability to learn more about you.
S-Style: Individuals that fall into the S-style of DISC love a harmonious atmosphere. Working in teams and providing a team-oriented culture is compelling. They are natural nurturers and thrive in providing support, collaborating, and maintaining stability. Steady relators may fear change, have challenges when making a decision and can also be over accommodating, in fear that they may let others down.
C-Style: C-styles are very analytical people. They thrive on data, facts and the devil in the details. They truly want to know how something will work or be implemented and are cautious about making decisions. They want to be in control and will have difficulty delegating tasks. They may be very critical of themselves and struggle with over-analyzing a situation or a problem. At the end of the day C-styles value quality work, learning, and showing their expertise.
Bonding & Rapport is an important piece of the sales process. Arming yourself with the knowledge of how people like to communicate based on their personality styles, will make that challenging step in the sales process just a little easier. A great book to help you understand more about DISC is "Taking Flight" by Merrick Rosenberg & Daniel Silvert.
On your next prospecting call, remember the four different DISC personality styles and how they best interact with others. As always, keep growing!
Principle MP Solutions- For 25 years Rob has been driven by the passion he has to grow people and organizations. Rob has worked with hundreds of companies and is a sought-after speaker on sales, sales management, social media, strategy and goal setting. He brings his 18 years of Sandler Training experience to MP Solutions.
