Reading People—Building Relationships:

We’ll say it again: People do business with people they like.  This is why being able to read someone’s behavioral style is so important.  The success or failure of a relationship, business or personal, is usually determined in the first two minutes of interaction, sometimes in the first twenty seconds.  So it is crucial that we identify and adapt to the behaviors that we see in front of us.

And to do that requires that we listen to the other person.  It’s important that we really hear what they are saying and how they are saying it.  We know that each behavioral style has certain behavioral needs attached to it.  The high-D is results-oriented and loves making decisions.  The high-I needs some fun and excitement, an enjoyable experience.  The high-S needs one-on-one interaction and a process to limit risk.  The high-C is all about the facts and data, information to analyze.

So if you can identify the strongest of their behavioral characteristics you have all the information you need to lay the groundwork for the next meeting or the next call.  But what we’ve found in thirty years of experience—is that most relationships actually form around the second strongest behavior.  We defend ourselves with our strongest behavior but many times our natural relationships will form around that supporting behavior.

This is where our People Reader becomes critical.  Using the Reader will give you a good idea of all the behaviors.  But the main purpose of all of our products from the People Reader to the audio CD and Workbook is to help you learn how to “read” people in ordinary conversations or meetings, even on the phone.  And we’d like for that to become as natural for you as “How do you do?” so you wouldn’t have to resort to the reader or the pocket profiler to “analyze” a prospect or client.

So—we listen to that other person to identify his or her strongest characteristic.  What they say will usually clue us in on their strongest behavior.  How they say it will give us the clue to that supporting characteristic.

If that secondary (supporting) characteristic is a:

• Secondary D—he or she may try to move things along and at some point may want to talk about the results.  So a high-S with a secondary-D might say something like:  “Let me think this over but if we decide to go this way how long will it take to implement our plan?”
• Secondary I—this may be the easiest one to spot as everything this person does will be smiling and friendly with a certain amount of energy and enthusiasm.  So a high-D with a secondary-I might at some point want to know who you know or how big the pot of gold is at the end of that rainbow.
• Secondary S—may look for assurances and seem like he or she is trying to slow down the process.  So a high-D secondary-S might get right to the point of signing the papers and then say: “I like this idea but let me run it by my staff and I’ll let you know Monday.”  At that point you give him or her your card, underline your cell phone number, use “we” all you can and say a few parting words about how this will help his whole team.
• Secondary C—this characteristic will want to slow down the process and review their analysis of the facts and data.  So a high-I with a secondary-C would be upbeat and enthusiastic but want to see the information.

Listen to what they say and get a good idea of their strongest behavior.  Pay attention to how they say it and know where the relationship is going to happen.

(Email us today for the People Reader and instruction key—available through our newsletter complimentary.)

PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THEY LIKE.

MAKE SURE THEY LIKE YOU!

Remember, at Keese Consulting our future is invested in your success.

Make yourself a great day!

Ron Keese