Every human being has something of each of these four color components. But in different forms. In most of us one or two colours predominate. Depending on the type of customer, he prefers different behaviours – and prefers to be treated as his own. Therefore, I always recommend that you quickly empathize with the type of the respective customer and address and treat him according to his personality type. For this, however, you must be able to classify your customers and recognise which colour components predominate. In most cases, however, each type is easy to recognize by its “typical” behavior.
The “red” type, for example, usually has a firm handshake and an energetic attitude that expresses impatience. He gets straight to the point in conversations and talks more than he listens to – so leave the initiative to him. His voice is direct and dry, his intonation powerful and he has a fast speech speed. From his qualities the red guy can be seen as belligerent, challenging, active, determined, self-confident and energetic. With such a customer you should come immediately to the point and avoid Smalltalk and build your discussion on provable facts and convince by results. What the red type wants best is an objective and not emotional argumentation that is clear, structured and logically structured. Involve your counterpart actively in the conversation and offer him alternatives. It would be bad if you were not prepared for a conversation with a red customer, if you spoke too slowly, repeated yourself, dissipated yourself or communicated emotionally.
Every type needs an individual approach
The “yellow” type, on the other hand, is humorous, spontaneous and sociable. A conversation with him can be almost friendly and trusting. He is characterized by a lively facial expression and a casual posture, in addition he often seeks physical contact. The yellow guy likes to share his feelings and often tells stories or anecdotes. He speaks quickly and has a large voice volume. Take time to build relationships with a yellow guy, often call him by his name and support his opinions and ideas. It is also ideal to mention references from other customers and listen to them attentively. Under no circumstances should you treat the yellow guy from the top down or talk too much without a break. If you want to master the conversation, that’s bad. A typical question that identifies a yellow guy, for example, is: “I’ve been buying from you since I can remember and would do it again and again. What else can you do in terms of price?
In a conversation with a green guy you will meet a sociable, sympathetic, trusting and accommodating person. He is usually considerate and compassionate, which can lead to him being easily exploited. The green guy likes to listen, speaks less and hardly deviates from his opinion. His handshake is rather gentle, he cannot look his conversation partner in the eye well. His voice is strong and warm, but his speech speed is rather slow. Here it is a good idea to start the conversation by talking about personal topics in order to find common interests. Proceed in an informal and relaxed way, give him a detailed plan and security. Getting to the point immediately and giving only facts and figures to the green type does not lead to success. Making promises that cannot be kept or demanding an immediate decision is also counterproductive. You have to earn your trust first.
Trust as an expression of intact relationships
The blue type as interlocutor is very logical, analytical and objective in his thinking. He weighs everything carefully and proceeds carefully and diplomatically. His handshake is rather cool and his posture is controlled and strict, with few movements. He has a stable voice quality, but speaks rather slowly and is reluctant to share his feelings. It is best to keep a certain distance during the conversation and prepare yourself ideally, gather only verifiable information and proceed calmly and in a structured manner. To contradict yourself, to be impulsive or urgent is a big disadvantage with the blue type. Because you will convince him with competence and reliability. A typical question a blue guy might ask would be, for example, “Has the product been tested by Stiftung Warentest? Or he asks for quality indicators.
If you learn to assess your customers correctly, this will help you to remain in the memory of potential prospective or existing customers for a long time to come. Because mutual trust is not least an expression of an intact relationship – this applies to both your job and your private life. That’s why the same rules apply as to how trust can be built and won.