Stable/security-minded

This group hates disruption, hassle, change and risk, experts say.

High-S’s hate disruption, hassle, change and risk.

“Sometimes they’ll drive Volvos,” says Steve Ast, vice president of sales and marketing for Shasta Industries in Phoenix. “They’re very safety-minded, they want side-impact airbags and two seatbelts instead of one. They want to check the product thoroughly — that’s how they make decisions.

“They’ll look at all the ingredients on a cereal box to make sure they’re comfortable with it, where an expressive person will want to just know how much frosted sugar there is.”

These personalities gravitate toward professions such as nursing, teaching and jobs that require teamwork. They like to work in teams, are very family-oriented, resist sudden changes and take longer to do things than D’s or I’s. “There’s a lot of security in the family, and they want sincerity from a salesperson,” Ast says. “They appreciate a stable environment in which to buy. Their worst fear is to buy from a fly-by-night [operation].”

Thomas Phillips, president of Sales University Inc. in Round Hill, Va., finds these clients the most challenging because their cautious nature keeps them from getting too enthusiastic about anything. “They tend to be factually driven,” he says. “They don’t get emotional one way or the other.”

When working with these clients, Ast says, give them a lot of information and don’t pressure them to make a decision. “You just need to give them a lot more time,” he says.

S’s tend to worry more than the others about possible accidents and injuries, says Ray Leone, president of Leone Resource Group in Charleston, S.C. So be sure to talk to them about safety. Have a serious conversation about whether they truly want diving boards and explain the benefits of entrapment-prevention techniques such as installing dual main drains for each pump.

And be even more vigilant about keeping appointments and staying on schedule with these clients, Phillips says. “The stable personality likes everything to be predictable and planned,” he says. “They want to know how it’s going to be handled.”

FEATURE STORY
They've Got Personality
Gaining your clients' trust requires keying into the needs of their specific personalities.

MORE INFORMATION
Dominants/drivers
This personality type likes to make things happen.

Interpersonal/
interactive
Clients with this personality tend to be the life of the party.

Critical thinkers/
cautious
These consumers enjoy obtaining technical information and making an informed analysis of situations.

Keeping in step
To be successful, sales professionals must also understand their own personalities.