Most of us know intuitively that we each have two personas in play:
- The person we really are.
- The person we want the world to think we are.
Both affect our buying decisions, but the second persona, our “mask,” so to speak, provides terrific clues to salespeople about how to understand and connect to buyers’ egos.
Say for example, that a somewhat unassuming man has hunting pictures and trophies in his office and likes to talk about his gun collection. He may not seem like such a tough guy sitting behind his desk in a suit, but trust me, in his mind, he is “Rambo,” and to the extent you can get behind his “mask,” you will have a much easier time connecting with him relative to his goods and services.
I remember meeting a woman once who was a senior buyer and very hard to strike up a conversation with. Then, one day I happened to mention a movie I saw and there it was. Not only did this particular lady LOVE movies, she was absolutely star struck and actually saw herself as part of the business as an informed critic. When I was able to arrange a few introductions at a local movie festival you would have thought we were at the Academy Awards.
Clues about how people want to be perceived are everywhere . . . the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, how fast or slow they talk. Connecting the personality dots is one of the most interesting parts of the great game of sales.
What clues can you spot in your current prospects and clients?
