An Introduction to DISC Profiles

In this episode of Windshield Time, hosts Chris and Chris discuss DISC profiles and how they can benefit your business. A DISC profile isn’t always about personality but more about communication between you, your coworkers and your customers. Knowing this information will help you better understand your clients — from their greeting to how they’ll answer questions and handle certain situations.

What is a DiSC Profile?

Taking a DiSC personality profile assessment is not necessarily psychoanalysis but more of a way to view different communication styles. People communicate differently, it’s a simple fact. Some people are blunt and to the point while others use lots of metaphors and flowery language.

Being able to effectively communicate with all kinds of people is a key part of your role as a salesman or technician — it will make conveying your points and your pitch much clearer and easier to digest.

The 4 DISC profiles are:

• Dominant
• Influencer
• Steadiness
• Compliant

According to the DiSC website:

People with D personalities tend to be confident and place an emphasis on accomplishing bottom-line results.

People with i personalities tend to be more open and place an emphasis on relationships and influencing or persuading others.

People with S personalities tend to be dependable and place the emphasis on cooperation and sincerity.

People with C personalities tend to place the emphasis on quality, accuracy, expertise, and competency.

DiSC profiles can also aid in communication in the office by helping you learn how to manage the communication styles and patterns of your coworkers. You can avoid costly miscommunication, awkward situations and promote a more open and effective team with clear communication and mutual respect.

Traits Within the Profiles

The three traits within the four profiles we’ll focus on today are:

• Demeanor
  • How a person carries themselves physically, like the way they stand, or how they have things organized and gesture.
• Pace
  • The way a person speaks — the pace of talking (fast or slow), use of euphemism and word choice
• Conversation
  • How a person talks with others, whether they listen or are quick to cut them off and interject.

How to Use DiSC Profiles During the Sales and Service Process

Observation is key when approaching a client and trying to determine where they fall within the DiSC profile. Things like the cars a client drives or how the outside of their house is decorated and how the garage is organized or unorganized are all helpful indicators to determine where your client sits within the DiSC profile schema — and how to use that as part of your service visit or sales call.

One of the best ways to figure out a person’s profile is to determine which profile they aren’t first. The process of elimination can be a vital tool to help you whittle down just what kind of person you are dealing with. Once you’ve mastered how to align different people with their DiSC profile, you’ll be an expert of clear and effective communication. The best way to learn how to properly sort people into their DiSC profile is simple: practice.

Want To Learn More About DiSC?

This episode is part 1 of 4 in a series focusing on DiSC profiles so stay tuned to learn even more about DiSC profiles. Be sure to check out our available LIVE PRESS PLAY classes where we can dive even deeper into the DiSC profile and show you how to use it effectively!