In the hustling world of sales—whether it’s cosmetics, soap, refrigerators, autos, software, or insurance – the customer is still king.  Most sales and marketing courses emphasize the identification of target markets (new or existing); an in-depth analysis of each market; an assessment of the competition; the production of pricing, distribution and positioning strategies; etc.  While all of these worthy efforts can be complemented by use of technology (e.g., customer relationship management tools, IT business solutions, quality assurance, managed services, etc.), a more basic look at the temperament of the customer may be useful for those who sell things for a living.

My co-author, Jim Harden, and I found that temperament is primarily that aspect of our personality concerned with emotions and the speed and intensity of our reactions to them.  We are born with four temperaments and develop our “dominant” temperament, that is, those behaviors, attitudes and emotions that feel MOST comfortable to us.  We have described these “Basic Elements” in natural terms to describe the four temperament categories.  They are:

Earth— reliable, traditional, organized, sensible, and trustworthy. 

Air— intelligent, analytical, curious, visionary, and logical.

Fire— spontaneous, playful, innovative, uninhibited, and fearless.

Water— compassionate, friendly, personal, and benevolent.

How do these four temperaments relate to the art of selling?  We posit that the dominant temperament of a customer is a strong indicator of their willingness to buy a product or service – or positively accept the efforts of the salesperson.

For example, a customer with an Earth temperament is looking for a product or service (or salesperson) that he believes will be dependable and can be trusted to serve the short- and/or long-term needs of his family or organization. However, he may also be quick to recognize what he wants and be more than willing to make a rapid decision to buy or not.  An Air temperament customer is looking for a presentation that is logical and full of product and service data and other relevant information.  The Fire temperament customer is ready for anything – except a boring sales presentation!  They are technically savvy and enjoy having lots of “toys” (e.g., computers, software, books, clever gadgets, state-of-the-art hardware, etc.) to explore.  The Water temperament customer must develop a personal relationship with a seller before there is any chance of a successful closing with an order.

Sales professionals must acknowledge their own dominant temperament and be aware that their styles, approaches and words may reflect their dominant temperaments – which may not be the most appropriate sales strategy for ¾ of their clientele.  Utilizing temperament in order to generate more sales is challenging and will take time and effort.  The art of selling is complex and ever changing.  A better understanding of temperament becomes yet another learning tool in your never-ending journey to make your selling efforts more enjoyable and successful.

Brad Dude is the co-author and author of several books available now on Amazon focusing on temperament and how it influences business decisions while reducing conflict including:

• “What Makes You Tick and What Ticks You Off – How the Basic Elements of Temperament Will Lead You to a Happier Life” with Jim Harden
• “Successfully Applying the Basic Elements of Temperament:  At Work” with Jim Harden;
• ”40 Tips for Figuring Out Your Boss!”
• “The Great Shadow’s Five Christmas Secrets:  How Personality Influences Our Outlook on Life!”
• “Keeping Our Teens Safe on the Road Should Be No Accident!”

Brad has over 35 years of experience conducting workshops and seminars on temperament, management, leadership and supervision. He currently works with such clients as NASA and The Graduate School, USA and has worked in over 30 countries.

CONTACT BRAD TODAY:  b.dude@yahoo.com