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<b><i>Sales Speak:</i></b> 'Speed-Reading' Your Clients

By Victoria Arnold
April 02, 2015

One characteristic that successful rainmakers share is their ability to quickly establish relationships and close the sale. How do they do it? Many are keen observers, good listeners and have honed their abilities to match their own interpersonal/communication style with that of their prospective clients. They have naturally learned how to “speed-read” people. This helps them increase the probability of smoother sailing through every step of the business development cycle. But one need not be a “natural” to be effective in this arena.

Anyone can learn how to improve his or her abilities to speed-read people, thanks to an ever-growing body of research and assessment tools (Myers Briggs Type Indicator, DiSC, and HBDI, to name a few) that are designed to identify personal preferences and communication styles. Many books, seminars and certification programs are devoted to this topic. One could spend a lifetime delving ever deeper into the nuances of communication. Fortunately, it is possible to focus on several key concepts that can enhance business development efforts. This article highlights a few of these, and draws heavily on the concepts outlined in the Myers Briggs. (Disclosure: the author is certified in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator,' the oldest and most widely used assessment instrument.)

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