Behavioral Styles

Knowing Behavioral Styles Will Win You Referralsstring(48) "Knowing Behavioral Styles Will Win You Referrals"

Many entrepreneurs rely on referral marketing, or the use of personal recommendations through networking, to spread the word about their business. When you’ve taken the time to build the right relationships, referral marketing can be a substantial part of your business. But when I ask entrepreneurs if they are getting all the referrals they want when networking, nearly every person says no. They all talk about wanting more referrals, but they have no plan for how to get them. Where to begin? Let’s start with knowing behavioral styles, a term that refers to what motivates you.

The Four Common Behavioral Styles:

  • Nurturer: Slower-paced, people-oriented, dislikes confrontation, and takes care of others.
  • Promoter: Fast-paced, people-oriented, gregarious, and likes to be in the spotlight.
  • Examiner: Slower-paced, task-oriented, methodical, relies on the facts, and dislikes hype.
  • Go-Getter: Fast-paced, task-oriented, driven, and hates being wrong about anything.

As an entrepreneur, you must understand your own behavioral style, learn how to quickly identify behavioral styles in others, and, most importantly, adapt your approach to those different styles.

For example, imagine you’re a florist at a networking function, and you meet a wedding planner. You’re enjoying your conversation and you feel that this could be a good connection, so you decide to set up a lunch meeting.

At lunch, they ask you a series of questions about your business. Your new contact wants to know how long you’ve been in business, what your company organization looks like, all your products and services as well as your pricing, not to mention a laundry list of technical questions.

For a Nurturer, this interrogation might seem off-putting in the context of a “get to know you better” meeting. But for an Examiner, this approach is completely natural. What seems comfortable to one person may seem either confrontational or rude to the other. While some people need as much information as they can get to move forward in a relationship, others like to ease in more gradually, taking their time to get to know you as a person before getting to know your business.

Warning signs

To be clear: neither person in this scenario is right or wrong. People behave in the way that’s most natural to them, but if you aren’t attuned to the behavioral style of the person you’re dealing with, both sides could walk away feeling awkward and exhausted. There are signs to watch out for that will clue you into what behavioral style you’ve got on your hands.

  • Nurturers have a relaxed disposition and tend to be warm and friendly. They are good team players but are risk-averse.
  • Promoters prefer to schmooze with clients over lunch rather than work on a proposal in the office. They are idea-people and dreamers who excel at getting others excited. They are risk-takers who are not inclined to do their homework or check out detailed information.
  • Examiners are generally in control of their emotions and maybe uncomfortable around people who are less self-contained. They tend to see the complex side of situations, but they also tend to have an off-the-wall sense of humor.
  • Go-Getters believe in expedience and are not afraid to bend the rules. They figure it is easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. They may appear aloof because they are goal-focused.

Once you identify a person’s behavioral style, you can tailor yours to match. If you’re dealing with a Nurturer, be patient, and ask questions to get to know them as a person. However, if you have a Promoter on your hands, be excited about the news they have to share about themselves. If you are dealing with an Examiner, come prepared with facts and data and be willing to listen to the information they share. Finally, if you’re dealing with a Go-Getter, get to the point fast, be concise, and be gone.

The content of this blog is from the book, “Room Full of Referrals”. Your behavioral style is affecting your referability! Are you treating others the way that they want to be treated?

ROOM FULL OF REFERRALS® …”and how to network for them!”

By Dr. Tony Alessandra, Dr. Ivan Misner & Dawn Lyons

This book will create a new mindset in the business networking world. You are not walking into a room full of people when you go to networking events; you are walking into a Room Full of Referrals®. The real question is – do you know HOW to network for those referrals? “There is one major obstacle to overcome at networking functions – you!”

 

 

Four Behavior Styles

Four Behavior Styles (the video)string(32) "Four Behavior Styles (the video)"

There are Four Behavior Styles you will find in others when you are networking. Do you know your behavioral style? Please watch this video to learn about these different styles.

In the book Room Full of Referrals which I co-wrote with Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons, we offer insight into the following four different behavioral styles:

Go-Getters: (Driven, Bold, Decisive, Strong Desire to Lead)

Promoters:   (Energetic, Outgoing, Fun-Loving, Positive, Talkative)

Nurturers:   (Patient, Helpful, Understanding, Sentimental, Reserved)

Examiners:   (Effective, Efficient, Thorough, Research-Oriented)

If you pay careful attention to the behavioral characteristics of others, you will improve how you communicate with them effectively by adapting to their style.

Voicemail Email Messages

Tips on How to Return Voicemail and Email Messagesstring(50) "Tips on How to Return Voicemail and Email Messages"

Tiffanie Kellog and Jason Avery discuss how behavioral styles affect how we respond to voicemail and email messages.

So you received a message and you do not know exactly how to return it. Based on the book, Room Full Of Referrals, it depends on how people want to be treated, their behavioral style.

Behavioral styles are affecting your referability. When you receive a voicemail or email message, pay attention to the length and pace of that message.  Was the message long, detailed and full of information, or was it short and to the point? Know how to respond based on the behavioral style of the person who SENT the message. There are little clues in their message to identify what is the behavioral style of the person you are communicating with.

Go-Getter

“Hey it’s Tiffanie, call me”. The person leaves a short message that is very direct and to the point or only a few sentences. They are a fast-paced busy-busy person without a whole lot of time and they expect the same from you. When you call them or reply to their email, start with “I am sure you are very busy, I only need a moment of your time. Here is what I got for you”. Get straight to the point with the relevant information listed in bullet points.

Promoter

The message is upbeat and enthusiastic. The person is talking about having a good time. They are the “Fun Loving” people. They use in their message ALL CAPS, emojis and lots of exclamation points !!!!!! When you call them or reply to their email, use words such as  “Super, Great, Fantastic, or Awesome”.

Examiner

The Message is very detailed with page numbers, questions and full of details. They want all the information. If they give you a long list, do not reply with just one or two short sentences. They might become offended and question your credibility. When you call them or reply to their email, start with “I am tied up at the moment but I will get to all these questions and I will respond by this date with all the information you requested”. Be specific.

Nurturer

The message has indecisiveness. They need more options to compare before making a decision or they want to consult with someone else first. When you call them or reply to their email, start with “Here is what you need to know about the impact on their business, family or community”.

Once you know their style, you can adapt. Mirroring is a good way to start. You behave the way that they are behaving and they will appreciate you. Another option is to have four different employees representing each of these four behavioral styles to reply to the various messages based on the sender’s behavioral style. 

Four Behavior Styles

The Four Behavioral Styles (the video)string(38) "The Four Behavioral Styles (the video)"

There are Four Behavioral Styles you will find in others when you are networking. Do you know your behavioral style? Please watch this video to learn about these different styles.

In the book Room Full of Referrals which I co-wrote with Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons, we offer insight into the following four different behavioral styles:

Go-Getters: (Driven, Bold, Decisive, Strong Desire to Lead)

Promoters:   (Energetic, Outgoing, Fun-Loving, Positive, Talkative)

Nurturers:   (Patient, Helpful, Understanding, Sentimental, Reserved)

Examiners:   (Effective, Efficient, Thorough, Research-Oriented)

If you pay careful attention to the behavioral characteristics of others, you will improve how you communicate with them effectively by adapting to their style.

Behavioral Profiles

Understanding Behavioral Profilesstring(33) "Understanding Behavioral Profiles"

I’m looking forward to presenting “Behavioral Styles in Networking” next week on Tuesday, March 14, 2017 from Noon to 1pm EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME as part of @BNI – The World’s Leading Referral Organization’s #BusinessBuilders webinar series.

Register here:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8829787935322540548

Understanding behavioral profiles is essentially about understanding the four different styles of behavior when looking at individuals.  It  is an excellent way to gain knowledge about how to craft your sales and reporting program to the style of communication most comfortable to the client as well as how to best connect with your fellow networkers.  All customers and all networkers like to be communicated with in a manner that is most familiar to them, and knowing their personality profiles/behavioral styles helps you customize a sales or networking approach for each unique individual.

RFORBlog

In the book Room Full of Referrals which I co-wrote with Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons, we offer insight into the following four different behavioral styles:

Go-Getters: (Driven, Bold, Decisive, Strong Desire to Lead)

Promoters:   (Energetic, Outgoing, Fun-Loving, Positive, Talkative)

Nurturers:   (Patient, Helpful, Understanding, Sentimental, Reserved)

Examiners:   (Effective, Efficient, Thorough, Research-Oriented)

If you pay careful attention to the behavioral characteristics of others, you will improve how you communicate with them effectively by adapting to their style.

Join me on my webinar next week to learn more about these traits.

 

Understanding Behavioral Profilesstring(33) "Understanding Behavioral Profiles"

A couple of weeks back, I posted a blog outlining some tactics for tapping into the customer’s perspective in order to increase sales in your business.  In that blog post, I promised I would write more in a future blog about behavioral profiles and today I am following through with that promise.

Understanding behavioral profiles is essentially about understanding the four different styles of behavior when looking at individuals.  It  is an excellent way to gain knowledge about how to craft your sales and reporting program to the style of communication most comfortable to the client as well as how to best connect with your fellow networkers.  All customers and all networkers like to be communicated with in a manner that is most familiar to them, and knowing their personality profiles/behavioral styles helps you customize a sales or networking approach for each unique individual.

RFORBlog

In the book Room Full of Referrals which I co-wrote with Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons, we offer insight into the four different behavioral styles and I have listed the character traits for each style below (I’ve also included information on how to best communicate with each style) in order to help you identify someone, adapt to their style, help them feel comfortable, and make them feel good so you can better connect with your customers as well as those you network with.

Go-Getters

Characteristics: Driven, Bold, Opinionated, Decisive, Direct, Strong Desire to Win, Strong Desire to Lead, Like to be in Charge, Love Control, Goal-Oriented, Have a “Get It Done Now” Attitude

How to Communicate With Them: Be Direct, Ask Only for a Short Amount of Time to Start–Say 30 Minutes Or So, Say You Will Come to Them–Makes It More Convenient for Them, Remind Them of What You Think You MIGHT Be Able to Do For Them But Don’t Commit to It Without Knowing More about Them (Networking), You May Be Able to Agree on a Date on the Spot–Do So, State That You Will Confirm Everything Via E-mail or Text (Whichever They Prefer) and Send Them a Reminder E-mail One Day Before–Do Not Call Them, Make Sure to Do What You Say

Promoters

Characteristics: Energetic, Outgoing, Fun-Loving, Positive, Talkative, Love Recognition, Dislike Details, Love to be the Center of Attention, Enjoy Simple Uncomplicated Things, Tend to Have a Large Social Network

How to Communicate With Them: Keep Your Energy Up and Smile, Let Them Know You Are Having a Great Time With Them (Networking), Describe a Bit About How You Think You Can Connect Them to Other People Who Could Be Very Interesting to Them (Networking), Say Something About a New Hot Spot That Just Opened or a Cool Place to Meet and See If They Can Fit You into Their Busy Schedule (Networking)–Makes Them Feel Important, If They Have Their Calendar Available Select a Date to Meet for About an Hour–You Will Need It As You May Not Get Down to Business Quickly, Let Them Know You Will Call Them to Reconfirm Everything, End by Saying Something About the Possibilities that Might Result From the Two of You Working Together–Describe the Vision and Have Them Buy into It

Nurturers

Characteristics: Patient, Helpful, Understanding, Sentimental, Reserved, Careful, Pleasing, Have a Difficult Time Saying “No,” Have Deep Relationships, Are Focused on Helping Others

How to Communicate With Them: Make Sure to Really Have Them Talk and You Listen, Share With Them How You Think the Two of You Would Be Really Compatible and How You Need to Understand More About Who They Are and How They Work With Their Clients (Networking), Tell Them You Would Love to Spend More Time With Them and See What Could Develop Over the Long-Term (Networking), Do an Option Close (an option close is when you give someone two options that you are okay with, so whichever one they choose you are already fine with and can move forward) on the Appointment and Ask, “Would it be possible to look at our schedule and see if we might have some time to spend together in the next week or so OR would you like me to call you next week and go from there?”–They Tend to Make a Quicker Decision When You Do an Option Close, Whichever Selection They Make Be Sure to Follow Up, Ask If It Would Be Okay If the Location Was a Bit Quiet So You Could Really Be Present With Each Other (Networking), Book out 1.5 Hours Just to Be Safe (Networking), Make It Clear That You Really Want to Get to Know Who They Are in Business Because You Truly Think You Can Help Them (Networking), Ask If It Is Okay to Call Them to Confirm the Appointment, Call to Confirm and Spend Several Minutes on the Phone with Them at That Time

Examiners

Characteristics: Effective, Efficient, Thorough, Research-Oriented, Avoid Risks, Loyal, Knowledge-Seeking, Analyze Everything, May Take a Long Time to Develop Trust, Make Calculated Decisions, Enjoy Strategies and Processes

How to Communicate With Them: Remember That You Will Need to Ask Them Lots of Questions as They May Not Give Information Out Freely, Ask Them If They Are Looking for Ways to Be More Effective in Their Networking (Networking), Talk To Them About Why the Two of You Could Be Effective Together (Networking), Ask If It Would Make Sense for the Two of You to Spend More Time Together to Figure Out the Details of How You Could Work Together (Networking), Ask If a Meeting at Their Office Would Be Appropriate–Makes It More Convenient for Them and They Don’t Waste Time Traveling Somewhere, Do an Option Close on the Appointment and Ask, “Would it make sense to book an appointment now or would you like me to e-mail you?”–Again They Usually Make a Quick Decision When You Do an Option Close, Based on the Answer Complete That Task, See If an E-mail or Text Is the Preferable Way for You to Confirm the Appointment, Show Up Early to the Appointment and Be Fully Prepared With an Agenda and Lots of Questions for Them

If you pay careful attention to the behavioral characteristics your customers and fellow networkers exhibit, you’ll get better and better at pinpointing which of the four behavioral style categories they fall into and you will be much more capable of communicating with them effectively by speaking their language and adapting to their style.  When you’re able to communicate at the highest level of effectiveness with your customers and those with whom you network, your sales will increase and your business will grow.

After reading through the lists of behavior characteristics above, start by pinpointing which style you are and if you have any additional ideas about how to effectively communicate and connect with others that share your same behavioral style, please share your suggestions in the comment forum below–I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!