Using Type to Build Customer Relationships
In the enlightening booklet, Using Type in Selling, Susan A. Brock details how to leverage knowledge from the MBTI® to strengthen customer relations. This book was designed with the sales professional in mind. However, the tips are practical for any individual who wants to strengthen customer relationships.
When type is applied to a customer interaction, you will be enabled to do the following:
- Understand how customers are different
- Hear the customers’ needs and speak their “language”
- Build the necessary relationships
- Maintain loyalty and long-term customers
Though you will not know the psychological type preferences of your customers, knowledge of the type framework still allows you to understand that:
- Your customer’s preferences may be directly opposite your natural preferences.
- Your customer’s preferences are clues to how this customer wants to be sold to.
- Some customer behaviors have nothing to do with their type preference.
Look for these behavioral cues to help gauge your customers’ preferences during a customer interaction.
Extraversion – talks to think, may interrupt or speak quickly
Introversion – pauses when answering or giving information, reflects silently, uses shorter sentences when communicating
Sensing – asks for step-by-step information, asks “what” and “how” questions
Intuition – talks in general terms, asks “why” questions
Thinking – appears to test you or your knowledge, follows a pattern of checking logic: “if this, then that”
Feeling – strives for harmony during the interaction, asks how others have resolved the situation
Judging – consistently on-time or early for appointments, wants to move through the process, impatient with overly long descriptions or procedures
Perceiving – may be late for appointments or lose track of time during appointments, generally won’t decide until the last moment, may seem to want space to make own decisions
As a special offer, CPP Insider subscribers can receive a 20% discount on a 10-pack
of Using Type in Selling booklets. Please use promotion code: SELLING when ordering online or calling Customer Relations at 1-800-624-1765. Hurry, this exclusive offer expires May 30, 2008.
