Improve Communication with Your Prospects, Clients and Employees

One of the errors that most people make in business and life is that they think everyone else thinks like them.  This, fortunately, is not the case.  People have different behavioural styles.  Different styles have different values.  Different styles prefer different activities. Different styles are suited to different jobs and roles. 

By understanding the difference between the styles and how best to communicate with them, you can improve your relationships, sell more to prospects and clients, employ the right person for the right role and get more done. 

There are various behavioural style models.  These are sometimes called personality styles.  We prefer referring to them as behavioural styles as people can and do change their behaviour to suit the situation or task at hand.   

In this blog, we’ll have a look at the four DiSC styles.  In DiSC, D stands for Dominance, i stands for Influence, S stands for Steadiness, and C stands for Conscientiousness or Compliance.

Dominant styles are focussed on the facts and getting the job done.  They are

·         Competitive

·         Demanding

·         Direct

·         Strong-willed

·         Purposeful

You can spot them as they:

·         Are blunt and to the point

·         Often doing two things at once– e.g. messaging someone while speaking to you

·         Make strong statements

When you communicate with them:

• Be direct and to the point
• Use a results-oriented approach
• Identify opportunities/ challenges

Influencing styles are concerned about relationships and want to ensure everyone has a good time while they achieve their goals.  I-stlye are:

·         Talkative

·         Sociable

·         Enthusiastic

·         Persuasive

·         Fun-loving

You can spot them as they:

·         Tell stories and anecdotes

·         Use plenty of hand and body movements

·         May appear cluttered/ disorganised

When you communicate with them:

Ø  Allow time for chatting and socialising

Ø  Ask about them and their family

Ø  Create a friendly environment

Both I and D styles are extrovert and tend to make decisions quickly.  The Steadiness and Compliance styles are introvert and take time to make decisions. 

Steadiness styles are focused on relationships more than the task but they are introverted rather than the outgoing like the I-styles.  They are:

·         Caring

·         Patient

·         Amiable

·         Steady

·         Good listeners

You can spot them as they:

·         Tend to be quiet and speak slowly

·         Use warm tones- they are very friendly and conversational

·         Favour conventional clothing styles and cars

When you communicate with them:

Ø  Be patient, build trust

Ø  Present issues or challenges logically

Ø  Relax and allow time for discussions

Compliant styles are concerned about doing the right thing in the right way.  They are focused on the task and want to ensure that it is done right.  C-styles areL 

·         Analytical

·         Precise

·         Careful

·         Logical

·         Formal

You can spot them as they:

ü  Use formal and proper tones, they speak carefully with little expression

ü  Ask pertinent questions- they focus on the task not people

ü  Prefer non-contact and distance

When you communicate with them:

Ø  Use detailed data and facts

Ø  Keep on task, do not socialise

Ø  Be patient, slow down and explain carefully

This is a quick overview but by knowing the four styles and how to communicate with them, you can improve your relationships and achieve your goals.

It is vital when building your team that you pick the right style for the right role.  We examine this in more detail in our whitepaper.  You can download it below.