Part Three: Sell Differently to Sell More…

Richard Baines

July 3, 2024

Although most of us are not trained sales people, many of us have to sell.  It might be formal new business pitching or perhaps the more organic ‘up-sell’ of products or services to existing clients.  Either way, the process can be time intensive and the results, unpredictable.

But what if you could increase your success rate for little or no extra effort?

Welcome to episode three in our Insights Discovery series where we look at how to use the Insights Discovery methodology to achieve success in the workplace.  This week, we focus on selling and how adjusting our approach to meet buyer preferences can significantly increase our chances of winning business.

The fact is, most of us have a particular ‘selling style’.  Unsurprisingly, this is directly linked to our preferred ‘buying style’.

For example, when selling or buying, someone with lots of Cool Blue energy will likely have undertaken thorough research and follow a methodical process.  They will also probably request proof of value or go to great lengths to demonstrate their competence and have a detailed set of questions at the ready.

These traits are important because they go a long way to establishing the trust and confidence required for Cool Blue energy to feel comfortable making a high value purchase.

All good so far…  Except, what if that same Cool Blue energy is selling to a buyer with high levels of Sunshine Yellow energy?  The result is likely to be quite different. This is because the Sunshine Yellow buyer looks for a different set of traits to establish the same level of trust and confidence when buying.

For them, an element of ‘chemistry’ with the seller will be important.  In addition, good story-telling around previous successes; connecting the purchase with recognition for them and a simplified, painless procurement process are likely to help you clinch the deal.  Different indeed to our Cool Blue buyer.

Now imagine how much more successful we could be if we match our selling style to the buyer’s preferences each time rather than simply selling in our own style!

So how do we do it?

Try this two-step process:

Step One: Identify the buyer’s preferences.
This is done right from the start of the relationship by listening and observing.  From the outset, the buyer will give clues to their dominant colour energies.  The graphic below matches the four Discovery colours with their typical buying preferences.

Step Two: Adapt your selling approach to reflect buyer preferences.
Simple but effective adjustments help you connect with the buyer; put them at ease and make them more likely to buy from you.  The graphic below provides tips on how to adjust your sales approach for each colour energy:

Give it a try…

As the saying goes, the best way to learn is to do.  Over the coming weeks, follow this two-step process with a range of new and organic sales opportunities.  Don’t forget to consider the top two colour energies in play for each buyer and select prompts from the corresponding lists.

Keep a record of the results and compare them to your previous win-rate over the same period.  I’m confident you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Of course, there are multiple factors at play when selling. However, adapting your selling style to match the preferences of the buyer will make you more successful, more often.  Now that’s a compelling sales pitch!

If you’d like to know more, click on the link below to visit our dedicated Insights Discovery web page