The previous post dealt with making first contact with your prospective big fish and how to make a positive first impression. Today we’re going to cover feeling out the personality of your prospective big fish in order to match the right salesperson to the fish.

You need to do this in two steps:

1. Profile your salespeople’s personalities;
2. Match the right salesperson to your target fish.

There are essentially three different selling personalities:

• Sage
• Pal
• Pit Bull

The Sage
This salesperson offers knowledge, experience, comfort and trust. They can make a concerned customer feel at ease. In order to be successful they need plenty of information, a demo of the product and/or service, and references and case studies if possible.

The Pal
Much like it sounds, this is a salesperson that shines at building relationships. They can instantly relate to the prospective client and make them feel like old friends in no time. They work best with clients who are looking for friendship, and information and are in a similar peer group as the salesperson. This peer group can include anything from age and culture to hobbies and nightlife. While sharing experiences can be beneficial to creating a new relationship, your salesperson must always keep it professional and respectful. The resources these personality type needs are assistance pairing with the right client, an entertainment (or schmoozing) budget, and the right information to meet the client’s needs.

The Pit Bull
Obviously, this personality type is a little more aggressive than the others; their focus is solely on the business and the bottom line. While this personality may seem harsh to a majority of people, there are some business people who respect someone who can get
right down to business and focus on the benefits of a partnership. This salesperson will be required to have some authority as they will likely be closing deals on the spot. They will also need plenty of resources and access to products and services. This salesperson is best placed in environments where they can work independently, exercise authoritative discretion, and seal deals quickly.

These three personality types can all be successful when used appropriately in the right selling environment. You can easily see how matching the right salesperson to the right client has the potential to secure more big fish for a longer period of time.

Please reach out to me if you need help figuring out which personality type each of your salespeople fits into to get your big fish plan in action.