Guest Post By: Monique Castillo
I have always known that everyone has his or her own likes and dislikes, but being newly married, it is more apparent now. For example, I like dark chocolate and my husband likes milk chocolate. I have an amiable personality and my husband is more analytical. At first, I would get my feelings hurt if he responded in an abrupt manner, but I have since learned to read his mood and adjust my reactions. I’ve realized that the key to having a positive relationship with one another is taking time to recognize our differences and adjusting our actions to meet the other’s needs.
Remembering that my husband and I are unique, reminds me of how our customers are different from us as well. Just like you and I, every customer has his or her own unique sets of needs, and in order to be successful at serving them, it’s important for us to remember that we cannot approach each customer the exact same way. It is to your benefit to be able to identify different personality styles, so you know how to best serve them.
When you are interacting with numerous customers on a day to day basis, personality styles will definitely come into play. The other day I came across a brief article from Adams Hayes, President of AH Digital FX Studios, which provides characteristics for different personality styles you can recognize. I found the brief overview of each style insightful.
Especially in business, it is essential to become aware of customers’ personality styles to help you best serve them. For example, if your customer is analytical, he is probably going to want very detailed information. If your customer is a driver, then he is going to want very high-level information. Keep in mind that serving customers they way they would like to be served, affects their overall satisfaction, which in turn affects their loyalty to you and your company.
So, to become better at recognizing peoples’ personalities, challenge yourself to try to guess a person’s style each time you encounter someone. Whether it is a co-worker, your flight attendant, or a sales associate, each one will be unique, and you can practice adjusting your style to theirs. Take note of how your adjustments make the relationship more amicable. Have fun with it, and before you know it you will be an expert adjusting your style to meet your customers’, just like I am at meeting my husband’s.
