How To Win Clients Over In 7 Seconds

When working with businesses, the complaint I get the most is: ‘I keep coming across people who do not like me when I’m trying to sell them’. People decide whether they like you or not in the first 7 seconds of meeting you. That’s not a lot of time to win someone over. So, in this blog, I use business style awareness to help you win clients over in just 7 seconds.

What Is Business Style Awareness?

Everyone has their own business style. Essentially, you will get on with people who are most like your business style while you will have difficulty with the style that’s least like yours. However, that doesn’t mean we should abandon all hope with our opposite style. Instead, it is enormously beneficial for sales people, and in fact all business people, to recognise, identify and understand the four distinct business styles so you can accommodate them in conversations, meetings and sales. This is business style awareness.

As a starting point, it is vital to find out your own business style. 

From here, you can understand your ‘selling personality’ and the ‘buyer personality’ of each client. Consequently, you can cater your sales style and technique dependent on the compatibility of your styles.

Interaction of Styles

As discussed, there are some styles we get on with more and some we clash with. Below is a basic synopsis of which styles are neighbours and which are nemeses.

Compatible Styles

• Thinker and Friend
• Thinker and Doer
• Doer and Actor
• Actor and Friend

Conflicting Styles

• Thinker and Actor
• Doer and Friend

Win A Client Over in 7 Seconds

So, if it’s written in the stars that certain styles don’t gel, what hope do we have of winning clients over in 7 seconds?

By recognising a client’s business style and therefore understanding their preferences, you can adapt your own selling style to accommodate them. Below is a brief guide on altering your style to win over your opposing style.

• DOER: When selling to a Friend, don’t forget the small talk.
• FRIEND: When selling to a Doer, you will be pressed for time so don’t initially engage in small talk – have your facts ready.
• ACTOR: When selling to a Thinker, have your facts and figures prepared for analysis and resist the temptation to talk in opinions.
• THINKER: When selling to an actor, speed up your sale and be warmer, more personable.

With you Business Style Awareness under your belt, you’re guaranteed to win over clients and secure more sales. If you would like more help and advice on getting business meetings off to the best start and securing leads, contact me today to find out how I can help.