Are You DISC Profiling Customers?

I do.  DISC profiling gives me greater insight into the customer at helps me figure out how best to approach and deal with them.  The DISC model identifies personality traits of people and can tell what makes them hot and what makes them cold.  The four personality types are:

D (Dominant).  These are the drivers or doers.  They have a low threshold for small talk, make decisions quickly, and place a high degree of trust in you.  People with the D style place an emphasis on shaping the environment by overcoming opposition to accomplish results.  I don't schmooze with D's--I approach them directly, speak plainly, and put an emphasis on performance.  CEO's, military officers, entrepreneurs, and upper management types tend to be D personalities.

I (Influencer).  These are the "natural extroverts".  They place a high value on status, relationships, and can be impulsive.  They can sometimes appear to be disorganized but they often aren't--they are more interested in the big picture rather than details.  I take my time to talk about their goals, dreams, and desires with I's.  I place an emphasis on social proof and status so I usually try to direct them to testimonial written about me.  Salespeople, politicians, some upper management, and some entrepreneurs are I personalities.

S (Steadiness).  These folks are the backbone of American life.  They place a high value on relationships, co-operation, collabortaion, and the status quo.  They can sometimes be indecisive and generally dont want to make the wrong decision.  They will often be the folks who value relationships and are influenced by referrals and social proof.  I am educational and deliberate with S personalities.  I explain numbers in detail and ask them to repeat back what I've told them so we both understand the issues.  Junior military officers, military non-commissioned officers, middle managers, public saftey workers, and teachers tend to fall into the S personality profile.

C (Conscientious).  These customers are very risk averse and analytical.  They are detail oriented and rely heavily on logic and their judgement.  These are "the numbers folks".  They place a high value on working within established processes to maintain consistency and accuracy.  They can make decisions quickl if they believe you are as maniacal about details as they are.  Surgeons, engineers, accountants, bureaucrats, and executive assistants are some people who fit the C personality.

I attend all of our purchase loan signings so you can usually see what kind of personality my customer has in the way I review the final HUD to the good-faith-estimate:

I summarize that the costs were less than we quoted and we closed early to a D personality--he usually congratulates himself for choosing a competent lender.

I talk a lot about the house and reaffirm that the payment is worth it to own such a nice home to the I personality.  He usually tells the notary and me about how he plans to improve the property while he signs documents.

With S personalities, I usually relate how their agent saved them some money (or fixed a problem) and point out that their attentiveness helped make the process go smooth for us.  He usually tells the notary about how wonderful it was to solve a problem with a good agent and lender.

I dont mess around with C personalities at signings--the proof is in the numbers and the accuracy of the rate and their name on the deed of trust.  Once I establish that we delivered these details as he wanted, I leave the room and wait outside.  He usually thanks me for being competent and detail-oriented.

I try to size up personality profiles when I meet them face-to-face.  It's harder on the telephone but I can sometimes get it in a few calls.  What techniques do you use to understand what motivates your csutomers?

PS---  I'm a D with a high I complement.  I'm outgoing and like to talk but I'm generally interested most in results.  Ds and Cs work very well together and Ds can works well with Ds if they know that the customer is calling the shots.  I have to slow down and remember that the S and C personalities need me to go through the process with them lest they think I'm too "fast talking" or "slick".