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In this series of articles, we describe four behavioural styles based on the work of John G. Geier Ph.D., and Dorothy Downey, M.S. Their DISC model, widely copied but rarely matched in quality, is a terrific place to begin when attempting to up our game as managers or to increase our sales.
Amber (I) Behaviours
We now discuss our last behaviour style, the I style, which I assigned the colour Amber. High Amber (High I) behaviours have the following common characteristics:
Male: enthusiastic, resourceful, expansive, alert, appreciative, vigorous, optimistic, and adaptable.
Female: persistent, discontent, vigorous, resourceful, expansive, adventurous, sharp-witted, and informal.
Low Amber (Low I) behaviours—those scoring at the bottom of the I scale—are described as follows:
Male: apathetic, satisfied, watchful, patient, worrying, withdrawn, and hopeful.
Female: uncertain, wishful, modest, complaining, realistic, protective, watchful, quiet, reserved, and defensive.
‘Crowd pleasers’
Amber-style salespersons are often called “crowd pleasers.”
Product knowledge: They assume it is more important that people like the product (and the salesperson) than to know how to use the product.
Opening: They try to relax the customer by talking and joking, and to create an environment where unpleasant issues are unlikely to arise.
Handling objections: They try to avoid objections and tell the prospect it’s better to set the objection aside for the moment and work on it later.
Customer knowledge: They display a sincere interest in hearing about the other person’s thoughts, attitudes, and opinions.
In any situation we have four possible paths to take. We can change the situation, change our perception of the situation, leave the situation, and/or change our own behaviour.
Persuasive techniques: They keep the visit friendly and emphasize the positives, thereby avoiding confrontation.
Crowd-pleaser salespeople will undoubtedly be with us for all time. They are viewed by others as having a superficial knowledge of the products or services they sell. They may pick up too many tabs for lunches and dinners, thinking this is what it takes to build business relationships.
However, their approach becomes tarnished if promises are broken, and their over-promising style can irritate service providers who must follow up.
They are friendly and fun to be around, but if they are not careful, customers may become dissatisfied, because a genuine working relationship may require a more balanced approach.
Another descriptive term for this selling style could be persuader.
Valuing Social Relationships and Solutions
Geier and Downey suggest that a negative trigger for the Amber buyer or employee is any attempt to provide a systematic structure, such as by saying “this is the logical choice” or “we have a proven system.”
This behavioural type values opinions, wants interaction with others, and relishes the relationships and social aspects of purchasing. They enjoy social chitchat, often like brainstorming ideas, skim rather than read detailed reports, and prefer unique, colourful, and stylish items.
It’s best to bring opinions with you in the form of testimonials in which clients talk about their relationship with you and your team. They welcome alternatives and enjoy “playful” exchanges.
To decrease their fear, develop ways for them to show off their choices. Back up their imaginative ideas with practical implementation in which others do the detailed work.
They show readiness to help others with a problem and expect the same from others. They tend to gravitate to social solutions and face-to-face meetings, often over a meal. They hate to eat alone.
Cheerleaders vs. Accountability and Focus
As managers, the Amber style tends to try hard to avoid conflict when it arises. While this creates a friendly environment, those who want structure are often frustrated with the apparent lack of accountability and focus.
Amber-style managers are less effective as a coach since they tend to downplay negatives too much and fail to be as direct as is required in coaching conversations.
This style of manager acts as a cheerleader and lives in the present, putting unpleasant events into the past. They often fail to realize that support and reinforcement from a few loyal people may be more meaningful than from many people who only casually give their nod of approval.
Others often complain of broken promises while the Amber-style manager simply claims forgetfulness and a dislike of tedious tasks. Preferring consensus, their desire to bring people together makes them a catalyst in the interchange of ideas.
In any situation we have four possible paths to take. We can change the situation, change our perception of the situation, leave the situation, and/or change our own behaviour.
We’ve attempted to open the possibility of different choices when dealing with individuals significantly different from ourselves. Life is more about choice than chance, and the more informed our choices the higher our chances for success.
This is Part 4 of a four-part series.
Dave Mather is a Performance Improvement Specialist at Dale Carnegie Business Group in Toronto. His columns can be read at ept.ms/dave-mather
Find Dave on LinkedIn.
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