THE NATURAL STRATEGY FOR BETTER SELLING? KNOW THEIR TICK BIRD TYPE.

No two businesses will ever share same sales strategy. Yet, there is one element of making sales that’s relevant, regardless of the business you’re in… personality-based selling.

All too often in sales, we’re thinking about OUR product, service or whatever we’re presenting, when the golden nugget is THEM. You know the saying, ‘what’s in it for me’. It’s this philosophy, ten-fold.

Tick’s personality profiling tools will help improve your success in sales. It’s an easy to understand, bird-type system that categories people into one of four groups: Dove, Owl, Peacock or Eagle.

We all fall into one category, but can showcase characteristics of other ‘bird types’.

The four different personality types (and how to sell to each)

Avoid the cookie-cutter sales approach that are too-often used. Remember, your prospects are individuals. See them this way, rather than through the lens of dollar signs.

You need to organise and optimise the way you sell by identifying their personality type and tailoring your communication style to ensure you connect. Let’s go through the four types.

1. The sweet Dove 

Our doves need to be supported. They love being an important part of a team and belonging to something. Friendship, approval and love are all essential metrics.

Qualities:

Value personal relationships above all & like excitement and challenges.

Doves typically consult with their team, their tribe, before making decisions. 

Doves are great listeners, patient, and friendly. The more personal, the better. Ask questions that’ll go deeper than small talk to build the trust. They’re visionaries, so deliver messages this way. Tell a story. Take the time to get to know them and develop a connection. Doves are usually more emotional than rational.

2. The fact-driven Owl 

Owls flourish when there are structures and laid out plans in place. They want to ‘see it to believe it.’ They want to be right.

Qualities:

Goal-oriented and competitive, values results over personal relationships. 
Decisive, fast workers, and need concrete information.

When you’re selling to an Owl, always be over prepared. Don’t ‘wing it.’ Run time-efficient meetings and be straight to the point. Tie in features of your product or service to tangible results. Show them how you’ll put them in front of their competitors.

3. The popular Peacock 

Recognition is essential for the Peacock. They have a strong need to be recognised, thanked and applauded (both for who they are and what they do). Peacocks love being the centre of attention.

Qualities:

Influential, yet not domineering. They seek consensus and validation.

Focus on the holistic value proposition when communicating with a beautiful Peacock. You’ll probably meet with a Peacock who will lead the meeting, but have a couple of birds on either side (maybe a Dove or Owl). They show enough leadership qualities but are more of a team player. This ‘team’ mentality should be reflected in your message delivery.

4. The dominant Eagle 

On a power trip? That’s probably an Eagle. Motivated by authority, the Eagle needs to be in control and have the freedom to get results. Eagles are usually the boss or in leadership roles.

Qualities:

Competitive, assertive, and driven.

Eagles need to know ‘what’s in it for me.’

They dislike time-wasters and you don’t have long to win them over. Eagles are quick to jump into deadlines and targets, placing a strong emphasis on results.

Approach an Eagle with caution, respect and assertiveness. They need to know you’ll get the job done. Dominant personality types are common in sales, so be wary of this when you have two Eagles in the room. Understand when you can show your dominance (like when talking about your product), then let him (or her) take the reins.  

Don't ignore personalities in selling 

With so many variables in selling and marketing, personality segmentation is the one thing we can be sure of. How exciting is this, when you think about it?

We have an opportunity to create solutions, real solutions, for every person we interact with. We can get to know every person’s wants and needs, then use it to continue to serve – in the form of new products and services that would otherwise have not existed.

By observing, we see things that otherwise get missed when we’re just trying to sell a product. Flip it the other way around.

Do you pull out a calculator (for your Owls) or a whiteboard (for your Peacocks)? Maybe it’s sharing a beer with a Dove or quickly jotting down some big strategies with your Eagles. You’ll be able to determine the best approach once you know how to recognise the different characters.

Leverage Tick’s online personality profiling tools to uplevel your sales processes. Fill in your details in the red form to get started.