DISC - Newsletter #041 MAINTAINING RAPPORT IN THE EXPLORING STAGE - HOW TO EXPLORE WITH:

1: Dominance – High "D" Style

• To head off the "D's" impatience before it surfaces, keep your conversations interesting by alternately asking questions and offering relevant information.

• "D's" need to view the meeting as purposeful, so they want to understand where your questions are leading.

• When asking a "D" question, make them as practical and logical as possible. Aim questions at the heart of the issue and ask them in a straightforward manner.

• Only request information that is unavailable elsewhere.

• When gathering information, ask questions showing you have done your homework about their desired results and current efforts.

• Be sure to make queries that allow him to talk about his business goals.

• Gear your exploring toward saving D's time and energy.

2: Influence – High "I" Style

• "I's" get bored quickly when they're not talking about themselves.

• Strike a balance between listening to their life's stories and gathering the information you need to be an effective sales consultant.

• When asking business questions, keep them brief. If you can, work these exploratory questions in with social questions. • The better your relationship with an "I" is, the more willing he'll be to cooperate and talk about the task at hand.

• "I's" can be so open they may tell you their fondest hopes and aspirations. If you can demonstrate how your product or service can get them closer to their dreams, they may become so excited about your product-and you-that they're likely to sell you and your products and services to everyone else in their organization.

3: Steadiness – High "S" Style

• "S's" can be excellent interviewees, so talk warmly and informally and ask gentle, open questions that draw them out (especially around sensitive areas).

• Show tact and sincerity in exploring their needs.

• If they do not have a good feeling about your product, company, or even you, they are not likely to take the chance of hurting your feelings by telling you so.

• They want to avoid confrontations, even minor ones. So "S's" may tell you what they think you want to hear, rather than what they really think.

• They may not you about their dissatisfaction with your competitors. Even though this is exactly what you want to hear, the "S" may be hesitant about saying anything negative about them.

• Allow for plenty of time (possibly multiple meetings) for "S's" to open up to you and reveal their innermost desires and pains.

• The more time you spend with an "S" exploring, the higher the odds you'll be landing them as a customer.

4: Conscientious – High "C" Style

• "C's" don't care much about social interaction (beyond common courtesy and standard pleasantries), so get to the point.

• "C's" often like to answer questions that reveal their expertise, so they can be very good interviewees.

• As long as you ask logical, fact-oriented, relevant questions, they will enjoy speaking with you.

• Phrase your questions to help them give you the right information.

• Ask open and closed questions that investigate their knowledge, systems, objectives and objections.

• Make your own answers short and crisp.

• If you do not know the answer to something, do not fake it. Tell them you'll get the answer for them by a certain time, and then do it.

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