Do you find yourself to be patient, understanding, trusting and considerate with others? Do you have a strong pull toward helping others? When you're challenged, do you tend to work it out by communicating with others, leveraging the relationships you have with others, or creating new ones that will assist you?
If so, your personality style is likely that of an "Amiable."
Remember, there's no right or wrong personality style. Successful people are in each of the four styles (Analytical, Driver, Amiable and Expressive), but in general they're successful because they use the unique traits associated with their personality style to produce results.
What are the implications if you're an Amiable business developer?
Most significantly, you are concerned about how your results will impact others, so you'll get inspired about making a difference in people's lives. Your thinking will be more interdependent, since you value relationships above all. You'll tend to be sympathetic and caring, and you'll do your best to find solutions and deliver them in a way that will make your customers happy. When the time comes to expand your results, you're very likely to mine your existing accounts or ask for personal referrals rather than taking the risk of picking up the phone and calling people you don't know. (After all, Mom told you not to talk to strangers. She said strangers could hurt you, and she was right!)
Your clients generally love you and feel taken care of, although you may be seen as someone who's not particularly detail-oriented. Shortcomings or mistakes can be more easily brushed under the rug if your relationships are well-developed. If you lose clients, it's very hard for you, but you may have struggled in one of two areas: actually determining the right solution or over-relying on relationships to carry the day.
A likely fault that Amiables have is saying "yes" too often, or in not putting yourself first sometimes -- not standing your ground. So you'll have the tendency to become overwhelmed with all the things you have to do.
So, as an amiable, you should make sure great relationships are not the the only goal in your business dealings. You may want to place greater emphasis on getting the right solution quickly. You need to focus more on producing results.
(Reminder: In the weeks to come, we're also going to explore how successful salespeople "match and mirror" their clients when they interact. This will most particularly benefit the Driver.)
Next week: The "Expressive."
Send any questions, comments, stories, or sales problems to
dan@optimumbizdev.com, and I'll personally send you a response!
LAST WEEK'S HOMEWORK: If you're a Driver, did you catch yourself being a little dominating and results-driven?
THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: If you're an Amiable, notice what you do in order to succeed. How do you work relationships?
Please take a minute and let me know how you're doing out there. How have these tips been helping you?
