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All their lives, Enthusiasts have been told "you know,
you really should be in sales". They are outgoing, empathetic people
with a lot of get up and go. They’re on everybody’s dinner list. They
are supportive, harmonious people who do what they say they are going
to do. They are the sort of people that everybody likes to have
around. People buy from Enthusiasts because they like them. |
What turns them on about selling?
They view a sale as a great way to satisfy customer needs and take
their relationship to the next level. They’re more likely to talk about
how they were invited to the customer’s exclusive country club, rather
than the fact that they sold them $10,000 worth of product. They love
making new contacts and the size of their address book is something
they’re quite proud of.
At their best...
Customers feel that Enthusiasts are genuinely concerned about helping
them meet their goals. They are responsive and accommodating, they do what
they say they are going to do and they’re not too pushy. They’re fun to
have around, their enthusiasm is infectious and customers are happy to
introduce them to other stakeholders within their company.
At their worst...
Because their high Sociability is combined with low Dominance, they
want to be liked and they feel awkward in situations where there is
conflict. This produces difficulties in two areas that have long been
considered fundamental to the sales process —
dealing with objections and handling rejection. Enthusiasts run the risk
of becoming "professional visitors": plenty of activity, but no results.
They will shy away from activities that may result in rejection, such as
prospecting and closing. As a result, they will often focus on account
maintenance rather than new business development.
Around the office...
Because of their congenial nature, they are well liked by operations,
Sales Managers and support staff. Their spontaneous nature often results
in a tendency to leave things to the last minute, but, because they are so
friendly and apologetic, no one seems to mind.
Summary
Enthusiasts are best suited for relationship selling with a minimal
amount of cold-calling — where closing
the sale is more a natural outcome of a strong personal relationship,
rather than the ability to push the customer toward a commitment. High
Compliance means they are good with detail and follow up. It also means
that they place value on the structure and support their company provides
— things like product brochures, a 1800
number and an impressive client list. This profile is better suited for
mature markets and not well suited to a start-up situation or aggressive
new business development.
Advice to the Enthusiast
Review your top ten prospects — are
they there because of a realistic analysis of their business potential or
because you like them? When organising your activities for the day, do the
ones you hate first. They are the ones that will most likely lead to
rejection or conflict — or maybe even a
sale.
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