How to Sell to Every Kind of Buyer – Part One

Give prospective buyers information in the way they need to receive it and win more sales for your business.

If you’ve ever taken a personality test, you have likely learned how your personality style can impact how you communicate with others.

Knowing how you naturally behave in times of stress, when interacting with others of similar or different personality styles can help you communicate more effectively with those who are similar to you – and those who are different.

Even if you’re not sold on how personality can impact behavior, I think we can all agree that some buyers prefer a lot of information, while others prefer a more “big-picture” approach. Others need to read every online review for a decision while others still may need to enlist the help of all 753 of their Facebook friends.

Today, we’re introducing the first of a two-part blog that will help you learn how to identify the different buying styles, and how to approach those buyers in the best way to earn their business. First up, the Director and Entertainer buying style.

Style 1: The Director

Directors, you might have guessed, prefer a direct approach. They want you to come prepared with how your product is going to deliver one or more results (e.g. boosted morale, saving them time or money, etc). Invest in some quick research beforehand to know what their company or organization does, their role in it, if you’ve helped a similar organization in the past, and a few competitive advantages your facility typically sells on.

When you reach a Director on the phone, they may initially sound abrupt, busy, or even annoyed. Don’t be scared, they’re human just like you! They want you to give it to them straight, without a lot of scene building or “fluff” as they might call it. Give them what they want! It may sound like:

Prospect: This is Name.

Team Member: Hi Name, this is Sherry with CenterEdge Family Fun Center. Hope you’re doing great today?

Prospect: Yep. Listen I’m pretty busy. What can I do for you?

Team Member: I completely understand so I will just take a quick minute. The reason I’m calling is:

• We had your group in last year, quarter, month and we wanted to give you first opportunity to go
  ahead and get that rebooked. How does that sound?
• We recently sent you an email about Product Highlighted and I am calling to see how we might
  help you with your next event?
• I am trying to understand who plans events for Organization, would that be you or someone else?
  (find out name & phone # where possible)

Directors will appreciate a lead-in like this and each approach above will help you get to a next step, whether it’s to book an event, gauge interest, get a new contact, or even get lost – all of which get you closer to helping more organizations have fun!

Just because they’re direct and don’t want to spend a lot of time talking, doesn’t mean you can rush the process. In every sales conversation, you have to discover their needs, possible objections, who you’re competing against, budget, and what’s most important to them. If you ask the right questions, they’ll tell you everything you need to know.

Once you have what you need, give them the information the way they need it, (not the way you would like to hear it). They are direct and task-oriented and want to understand results quickly. Be confident but not pushy or arrogant. It might sound like:

• Based on what you said about not having a lot of time to plan, we can handle all of this for you and provide you a carefully orchestrated event with every detail managed.
• To do everything you all wanted and have time for your meeting, we can either go with Option A with event detail or Option B with event detail. Which do you think you’d prefer?

Once you’ve outlined your offering, go ahead and ask for the booking. Yes, now! You know you want it and so do they. It might sound like:

• All right, I can lock this down for you and get it off your plate with just a deposit of $XXX now. And I can send you an invoice with the details. How does that sound?

You’ve sold the event! Great job! Celebrate quickly and get those details over to the client as soon as possible to continue to deliver outstanding, timely, results for them.

Style 2: The Entertainer

Entertainers want a light-hearted and enjoyable experience with the people they buy from, so be sure to be enthusiastic and paint a picture of how fun it will be, with them in the position of hero. In your research, always be prepared with a fun anecdote, common acquaintance, or similar way to build rapport if you sense you’re talking with an Entertainer.

When you get an Entertainer on the phone, they’ll often quickly start building rapport with you by making a joke, telling a story, etc. It might sound like:

Prospect: This is Name.

Team Member: Hi Name, this is Sherry with CenterEdge Family Fun Center. Hope you’re doing great today?

Prospect: I’m really good, actually. It’s so nice outside, I wish I weren’t stuck in here! What can I do for you?

Team Member: Ha, don’t I know it! I’m going to try to go for a walk after work today. I’m so glad I caught you. I’m sure
you’re probably wondering, but the reason I’m calling is:

• We loved hosting your group last year, quarter, month and we wanted to give you first opportunity to go ahead and get that rebooked! In fact, we have some new changes in our menu
  and I would love to talk to you about those. What do you think?
• We have a mutual friend, Mindy Salazar, and she mentioned you worked for a design company who does fun things together all the time! What kind of things have you done?
• I was hoping you could help me. I’m trying to understand who plans events for your organization, would that be you or someone else? (find out name & phone # where possible)

From there, it’s time to discover their needs and what’s most important to them. Be sure to ask what kind of event atmosphere are they looking for, what would make the event perfect, etc.

When you’re ready to make the presentation, remember they want to see themselves in the event. Enthusiastically paint a picture of the fun, but don’t give them every little execution detail. Educate them based on what you heard them say was most important. It might sound like:

• Based on what you said about how you wanted your group to never have a dull moment, how fun will it be if we plan for you all to have 2 all-access hours of play and competition accompanied by their food options? Those food options were a great choice. They’ll really like them, and it will make things simpler for you.
• Oh, I’m so excited. We just held a similar event for this other group like yours, and I already know what we’re going to do to make yours even better. Let’s have you all paint the picture of the event in the order to take them on a vivid journey of the event. Now, if I can deliver that experience for you for approximately $XXX, am I on the right track, or do I need to look at other options for you?

Once, you’ve educated them on the event that is going to make their dream come true, ask for that booking, my friends! Don’t get bogged down in excessive contract details, and instead give them the most important information now. It might sound like:

• Perfect, I’ll get all this written up for you to review and sign, but we can go ahead and get the deposit now so that’s out of the way and we can just focus on details next time we talk. How does
  that sound?
• This is so exciting. Your group is going to love this event. I’ll get all the details of this written up, all I’d need to reserve your spot is just a deposit of $XXX now. The deposit is non-refundable and will be taken off the final balance of the party, but we can certainly move or change the date up to two weeks prior to the event with no problem. I’ll send you a confirmation invoice with the details. How does that sound?

You’ve sold the event! Great job! Celebrate and get ready for the next! Prepare the event contract and send with sincere thanks and more enthusiasm to strengthen their confidence in how amazing your facility will be at delivering an outstanding event.

How do you think you’ll change how you approach Directors and Entertainers? Share with us in the comments!

Ready to learn about Thinkers and Harmonizers? Read Part Two now.