SOCIAL STYLE POLICE!

I was very encouraged to read that Her Majesty’s Constabulary have and some still are, in the process of being trained. This time it is not about formation baton charges or student kettling. They are learning about human behaviour in much the same was as us sales people do. In fact the latest initiative is to do with social styles.  Regular readers may recall an article I wrote concerning Character Styles, where I outlined four main styles – (1) Drivers, (2) Expressives, (3) Amiables and (4) Analytics.

The police version purports to ‘classify’ or more accurately typify the behaviour of the general public using four ‘social’ styles named after four high profile figures in order to help understanding and presumably retention. These four styles are referred to (in the same order as my nomenclature above) as (1) Madonna, (2) Lenny Henry, (3) Lorraine Kelly and (4) Jeremy Paxman. The premise therefore is that we are all made up of a combination of the above personality styles and our behaviour therefore is encapsulated by these celebrities.

In a sales environment, the Madonna wants to be in control and with a short attention span wants results quickly. They do not have much time for pleasantries, rather preferring to get the job done and move onto the next task. They are very competitive and are not looking for friends – simply results. The altogether more effervescent Lenny Henry will respond to praise and adulation. They have a need to ‘hold court’ and impress with their wit, brilliance and generally love the limelight. They will jump around (physically and intellectually), getting bored easily and all their efforts are to hold the spotlight and be the focus of attention. If you encounter a Lorraine Kelly on the other hand be prepared for a people person, soft, gentle and kind. They are always looking for benefits to people and not the organisation or shareholders. Mood and ‘feelings’ are the main focus and whatever your personal views of this namesake, they are generally nice people. Finally they learn about the Jeremy Paxmans of this world – the ordered, logical almost robotic personality types. They are much more even (almost monotonous in speech pattern) and obsessed with detail, proof and evidence. It is a black and white world they live in and there is no place for grey (unless it has an according pantone number associated with it!).

The commissioners believe that this social styles approach will aid interaction and generally improve relationships with the general public and their officers. In a sales environment I would suggest it is no different. Next time you are on an appointment wheel out your ‘template’ and identify which style you are selling to. Make sure the Madonnas get what they want and quickly, avoiding detail and giving them the edge on control. With Lenny Henrys flatter them, avoid criticism and use their enthusiasm affording them a better stand location or more prominent logo on your website. With Lorraine be sure to relate the benefits of attending your event not in terms of ROI but in terms of how much easier it will be for their people to interact with their clients. Finally with Mr Paxman be sure to provide copious quantities of detail in advance of the meeting and be thoroughly prepared to answer any questions in terms of factual evidence rather than hearsay. Good luck – it’s a celebrity jungle out there!