Recognizing & Adapting to Customer’s Profile

One of the most valuable skills you can learn is good communication. It’s a really powerful skill to have because when your communication is better, everything you do gets better. The best way to increase your daily communication with people is learning how to assess their personality. This applies to every person in your life that you have any communication with — but as technicians or salespeople, it will especially help you with your customers. 

Why Is It Important To Master Communication?

Besides being a part of your everyday life, good communication skills can help you understand the people you are interacting with so that you can provide them with the communication they respond best to. Not only is this easier for the person you are speaking with, but you’ll notice that your experience is heightened as well. 

For example, if you’ve ever had to fly out of an airport, you know how tense the situation can get. You feel defensive about getting on your flight on time, and the airport staff or flight attendants feel defensive because they have to handle a lot of customers throughout the day. When you know how to communicate and empathize with people, you may find that your respect towards them makes things flow smoother or builds their respect for you. 

You might even get a bonus item like a snack or beer out of it — but that’s not the reason to be nice and try to understand people!

What Is The DISC Profile?

If you’re wondering how to evaluate and communicate effectively by assessing people’s personalities, there’s a science to it.  Here at Service Excellence, we use the DiSC profile to categorize personalities. In reference to the service industry, these personalities often present themselves in repeated patterns of behavior. Here are a few examples of common behaviors from the 4 personality types.

• Driver (D) — These people are straightforward, time is money type of people. 
• Influencer (I) — These people might speak to you for long periods of time about unrelated topics. 
• Stable (S) — This kind of person may apologize for the mess even though the home is spotless.
• Compliant (C) — This customer might open the door and immediately tell you they have pre diagnosed the problem. 

How Does A Customer’s Profile Affect The Service Call?

Based on the demeanor, pace and conversation of the customer, you can learn specific ways to speak with and behave around them that will help your interaction become a positive one. People perceive things differently, and in a service or sales situation, you want to make sure that your actions and words are received as positively as possible so that your recommendation is taken seriously. 

Indicators

Will your customer be welcoming and talkative, or are they more reserved and concerned about the problem? Are they chasing their kids around and apologizing for the mess, or are they methodically diagnosing the problem before you get there? How is their front yard arranged? Is it symmetrical? Are there toys outside?

Believe it or not, these observations and indicators can all lead you to understand your customer better and start to categorize them into one of the personality profiles. This is important because some people respond to the technical reasoning behind your evaluation, and some people might need to be educated or convinced about a problem.

Conversation Patterns

Is the customer short and sweet in their explanation? Do they ramble on in a long, drawn out story? Are they apologetic? Do they already think they know what the problem is?

The first time you ask your customer what’s going on, their response can help you determine how they communicate. Someone who is short and to the point is not going to respond well to a long conversation with unrelated details. If you’re abrupt and short with someone who is apologetic, you’ll end up making them feel unheard and more guilty. 

Adapting Can Change Your Interaction

Not everyone knows how to adapt to speaking with someone who perceives information differently. If you have this skill, you can adapt to your customer’s preference to make the interaction as easy as possible. For example, if you are speaking to someone who is blunt and straightforward, pushing conversation about unrelated topics is going to make your service call tense and aloof. However, if you adapt your own personality and speak in short, clear terms to let them know what you need to do, they will respond to the communication and relate to how you’re approaching the situation. 

It’s Your Job To Serve Others

Adapted communication will make your customer relax and converse with you easier. If you can learn to communicate with other personality types by adapting your own communication skills temporarily, there is no reason why the objections and problems at hand can’t be resolved easier and quicker. Take this skill seriously, and strive to master it. We have tons of blogs, podcasts and classes at Service Excellence to help you learn and practice these skills, so start today!

Download the Podcast!

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Stitcher