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By Carol Super
Oh, the pressures. The pressure to prospect. The pressure to cold call. The pressure to get appointments. The pressure to do and say the right things. The pressure to present. The pressure to negotiate the best price. The pressure to close. The pressure to train and motivate salespeople. Wouldn’t it be incredibly wonderful to wake up every day and to not have all of those pressures?
Well, in fact, following my proven 4½ steps helps CSOs and their sales teams to be far more successful with far less pressure than they’ve ever felt before and their companies to increase their revenues.
In addition to much enthusiastic feedback from readers and seminar attendees, I know this process works because these are the steps that I’ve followed to my success. The 4 1/2 steps to success are:
Step #1 — attitude;
Step #2 — rapport building;
Step #3 — inquiry;
Step #4 — presentation; and
Step #4½ — the close.
The all-important close only rates a half step, because if you follow the first 4 steps, the last step becomes a 4-gone conclusion. All you have to do is ask one question.
In this article, I’ll focus on what everyone agrees is one of the most valuable facets of my Selling Without Selling Process: Step #2 — rapport building and the “Super Theory of Relate-tivity,” which teaches you:
• to instantly identify the type and style of anyone you meet, and
• how to immediately begin building rapport.
Just understanding this one part of Step #2 will help you and your salespeople to become more successful than ever, with far less effort than ever.
Identifying the Celebrities
Oprah Winfrey…Al Roker…Donald Trump…Albert Einstein. What could they possibly have in common?
Well, one thing they have in common (besides the letter “a”) is that you know who they all are. Simply because of that single fact, you’re shortly going to be able to successfully relate to virtually anyone in 10 minutes or less. That’s certainly a skill worth having, right?
Actually, identifying celebrity icons is a major component of my proven “Super Theory” of Relate-tivity. It’s basically a three-part process: 1) temperature taking; 2) coastalizing; and 3) iconizing. It begins very simply.
When you first meet someone, take his or her temperature. No actual thermometer…oral…or otherwise…is required. That’s because you can usually tell almost immediately when you first meet someone whether he or she is warm or cool.
If they’re a welcoming, “come-on-in-and-let’s-chat, Who-are-you and what-are-you-all-about?” kind of person, they’re warm. If they’re a “how-do-you-do? Nice-evening-isn’t-it? Please-sit-down-and-don’t-get-too-close-too-soon” type of person, they’re cool. You probably know this instinctively. Now, just be aware of it.
A warm type is not preferable to a cool type. You have both types in your life who are wonderful people and to whom you are close. It’s just a matter of recognizing their style.
Now, you’re ready to move to part 2 of identifying celebrity icons — coastalizing. You need to decide, “Is this person a New York type or an LA type?”
Are they a “talk fast, move fast, in-your-face” person who likes to tell you what to do type? That’s New York, of course. Or are they a “slow talking, ya’ know, easy goin’, laid back” type, who likes to ask you what to do? That’s LA. In spite of personal proclivities, the New York type is not preferable to an LA type and vice-versa.
Now comes the part of the Super Theory of Relate-tivity that ties everything together: Part 3 — Iconizing.
You meet an infinite variety of types of people in your business and social life. Well, for the purpose of easy identification, I’ve set up four celebrity icons for you to use to classify them all.
Here’s how easy it is. If I say someone is an Oprah Type, what does that immediately tell you about that person? (Warm or cool? New York or LA?)
Right! Very outgoing, speaks quickly and somewhat loudly, uses her whole body when she speaks, especially her hands. She’s conceptual in her thinking and likes to look at the big picture. She’s a talker, rather than an asker. She needs to feel important.
See? It’s like speed-reading. I say someone is the Oprah Type, and you immediately have a good idea of what I mean.
Now, of course, Oprah Winfrey, herself, might not really be like this at all, but her persona certainly is, and that makes it easy for you when meeting someone who more or less matches these parameters, to think of that person as an Oprah Type. (I, myself, am an Oprah Type and proud of it!)
Now, let’s try another celebrity icon — the Al Roker Type. If I say someone is an Al Roker Type, what’s he or she like? Right. A warm, LA person. Laid back. An asker. Sociable. Interested in you. (“Where ya’ from? Where’d ya’ get that great tie? What do you like best about living on the West Side?”)
My husband, David, is an Al Roker Type, and we Oprah Types naturally get along easily and well with Al Roker Types, because we’re both warm, meaning we’re both outgoing.
See how easy this Relate-tivity is? You probably already have a very good idea of which people you know — personally and in business — are Oprah Types and Al Roker Types.
If they’re a warm type, they’re either an Oprah or an Al Roker Type. If they’re more of a teller, they’re an Oprah Type. If they’re more of an asker, they’re an Al Roker Type.
Now, for our next celebrity icon — the Donald Type, as in Donald Trump.
The Donald Type is New York like The Oprah Type. But, he or she is cool, and not nearly as welcoming and approachable. The Donald Type wants information, but just as facts, not as chitchat. The Donald Type definitely needs to feel in charge, and his or her ego needs constant care and feeding. The Donald Type’s greatest asset is that he or she is a doer.
Now, of course, the Donald Type would get along well with we Oprah Type, because they’re both New York types. The Donald Type also would not get along so well with the Al Roker Type, because they don’t match up with each other’s temperature or style. If you’re a Donald Type, it’s still possible for you to have a good relationship with an Al Roker Type, however. It’s just important, at this point, to be aware of the type of person you’re meeting.
Finally, there’s my cousin Albert…Albert Einstein. He’s cool, like The Donald Type, but introspective, not in-your-face. He’s definitely a laid back LA person. He needs a lot of information and asks a lot of questions in order to get that information. He just seems, however, to be more interested in the information, than in the person giving it. And he wants his information in writing.
Cousin Albert naturally would get along best with the Donald Type, since both of them are a cool type. He also would get along well with an Al Roker Type, since both of them are LA. He’d obviously be least comfortable with an Oprah Type. She’s a warm, NY type, so they don’t match up in temperature or in coastalizing.
So, if you meet with a cool type, they’re either a Donald Type or an Albert Einstein Type. If they’re an in-charge New York type, they’re a Donald. If they’re more introspective (an LA type), they’re an Albert Einstein Type.
In real time execution, from the time you meet someone until the time that you have him or her temperatured, coastalized and iconized, it has actually taken only about a minute. Not bad.
With minimal practice and observation, you’ll find these classifications clicking right in. Soon, instead of asking, “What’s their sign?” you’ll be wondering, “What’s their icon?”
Now, let’s move on to a bit of refining, or focusing, if you will because, although basic iconizing is good enough for general classification, you rarely find individuals who are a 100-percent pure type. Isn’t that what you were thinking?
From life experience, you know that everyone is almost always a primary type with secondary tendencies.
For example, I’m an Oprah Type with Donald Type tendencies. I’m outgoing, but I also like things to be in order. I’m warm, but I like to be in control. My husband is an Al Roker/Einstein Type. He’s warm and easy-going, but he’s definitely a thinker. How about you? What combination are you? Do you see how these primary and secondary tendencies can come together to create new personalities? We all are combinations of types. Some of us are just more one type than another.
OK. That’s it. Now that you know who you are in terms of type and you know who they are in terms of type, you need to know how to make the other person like you — how to make them feel that you’re their kind of person.
Of course, if you’re talking to your same type, it’s really simple. Just completely be yourself, adjusting maybe a bit for secondary traits. Otherwise, it’s time for the Platinum Rule to go into effect.
You know the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Good rule, the Golden Rule. But, for Relate-tivity purposes, we use the Platinum Rule: “Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.” The focus is on them, the way they do things and the way they like to process information.
For example, if you’re an Oprah Type relating to your toughest type, an Einstein Type, you do it the Albert Einstein way. You let him or her analyze your proposal in writing. We Oprah Types could care less about the details; we want the big picture. But, the focus here is on the Einstein and how they like to process information.
If you’re an Al Roker Type relating to your toughest type, a Donald Type, let Donald be in control. Be concise, not your usual chatty self. Adjust your style to the other person’s style.
Conclusion
Well, what do you know! You’ve already become a relate-tivity expert.
Using this information along with other tips on observation, mirroring, gender differentiation, and the like, you’ll be ready to learn Step #3: The Inquiry Process, which is the ability to ask questions in such a way that the prospect’s answers will reveal that your product, service or idea is exactly what they need. They’ll answer your questions because you took the time, interest and effort to build rapport, meaning they feel that you’re their kind of person and that they can trust you.
Then, you’ll be able to take the prospect’s answers and custom-craft a perfect presentation (Step 4) to meet their needs. That perfect presentation will lead to an automatic close (Step 4½). All you have to do is ask one question.
Congratulations! You’re already on your way to becoming a successful Super Theory of Relate-tivity practitioner! So, get out there and relate.
CAROL SUPER was the top sales producer for 3M Company’s Media Division for more than 15 years and was named “2003 Sales Professional of the Year” by Sales and Marketing Management magazine. She can be contacted at 877-EZY-SELL (e-mail: carol@carolsuper.com). This article was adapted from her book Selling Without Selling: 4½ Steps to Success (American Management Association; October 2003).
(This article is reprinted from the Winter 2005 edition of Enterprising Women magazine. Copyright 2005 Enterprising Women Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited, except by express permission of the publisher.)
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