By Sweta Patel
Over the years, my experience with marketing communications has always been my weak point. I’ve always had a strong desire to execute and get things done faster than the average. What does this mean? I struggled with taking the time to build effective relationships. I was not a people person, and I’d always make it a point to isolate myself in a large crowd. Why? I felt like this was the fastest way to get things done. The worst part was when I actually had to manage people and work with them. I could not stand people in the workplace; they were too slow for my pace. This is why I despised working with large companies and people. Until…
I was hired to work on a project with a high-end public relations agency in Santa Clara. In my mind I was thinking, “I hope I don’t have to deal with people.” They wanted me to initially manage all the processes, systems, and their current marketing staff. After my first conversation with the marketing director, I already saw a few gaps. They were not participating in any events nor were they holding any events with their current clients. In other words, this meant a lack of education on the client’s part.
Right off the bat I started networking and creating partnerships around the city and with people I already knew. These strategic partnerships included partnering with marketing tool companies. Then we aligned the PR agency to position the company in the results-driven field. How many PR agencies do you know that focus on metrics?
The CEO seemed a bit puzzled because he could not understand how the person who was least in the office was driving so much revenue for the company. This is when I discovered the importance of being a people person. Communication is everything in an entrepreneur’s world.
You need to be able to communicate with everyone in order to receive what you need for your business, whether customers, revenue, funds, resources, systems or process. No one needs the entrepreneur, but they need everyone.
The Personality Matrix
There are four types of people in the world and they can be a combination of these as well.
The Boss: This person tends to be emotionless and does what they need to do to take action. They are very results-oriented and bold. However, they can come off as rude and demanding to others. Their tendency to take action makes others feel as though they just don’t care. They have a dominant and controlling aura about them. Most of the time they just want to be right so they are impatient when it comes to listening to others. The best thing about this personality type is that it is very results-driven. The worst part is that they could come off a bit bossy, demanding and rude to the average person.
The Social Butterfly: This personality type just loves to talk up a storm wherever they are. They love to do things in groups and be around people all the time. They have an aura about them that creates influence. They are true supporters and empathize with anyone they meet. They are huge promoters as well. The dark side is apparent when they take on more than they can handle. People end up having a bad impression of them because of their lack of following through with what they promised.
Slow, Steady Wins the Race: This person is tasked focused and they need help to stay focused on their goals. They prefer to have structures and standards to work off of. When you commend them for consistency and their commitment to the project, they tend to complete what they start. These people are very systematic, yet sincere. This personality type makes a perfect team player because of their stability and amiability. They are patient and more passive than the other personality types.
Compliant: Finally, this personality type tends to move towards logical and factual conversations. They look for proven results, guarantees and rules. They are risk-averse when it comes to decision making. Compliant people stay away from impulsive behavior and dramatic, emotional communication. They are straightforward, analytical and diplomatic.
Best Practice: A Buddhist student asked his teacher during a meditation retreat, “I’m very discouraged. What should I do?” The teacher responded, “Encourage others.”
How To Create Win-Win Situations
You probably know someone who can relate to one of the four personality traits above. Which one are you? Or are you a combination of two of them? I know I would probably lean towards the boss/social butterfly combination. There are different ways to interact with the different personality types. Keep these four words in mind: integrity, flamboyant, impotent, and I care. These should be your secret gems in the personality treasure box.
When approaching someone who’s dominant, make sure you show confidence, move faster than normal, let him or her win and match his or her intensity. Always have results to back everything up. On a side note, they don’t follow the rules.
The social butterfly always wants positive feedback and recognition. When approaching someone of this nature make sure you listen to them and have fun with them. The compliant person might see this as “loose” behavior because they are not factual and they tend to “jump” into things fast. However, they just want to feel like they matter.
The steady type of person wants integrity and they want a task list of what needs to be done. This person also wants assurance and a step-by-step action plan. They are team players but not leaders.
When approaching the compliant type, make sure you stick to the facts. They are not the personal type so expect tons of skepticism from their end. These people like to be approached in a professional manner but not too friendly. If you are compliant then turn it up when approaching the social butterfly. They enjoy the outrageousness.
Best Practice: Marketing communication does not mean manipulate in order to receive. It really means to effectively communicate and achieve results while inspiring collaboration. Communicate your way to success. It works like a charm!
Closing The Deal
This is it! I had to learn the hard way of communicating and building a rapport with people I was interested in doing business with. It was not easy and there are times where I still struggle.
The secret is to find out what the motivators and values are for your team. This will help you create long-lasting relationships. All the goals must be aligned and everyone should be focused on achieving that goal the most efficient way possible.
If you are an entrepreneur, be thinking about who you want on your team and how you can approach them and get them to commit to what you are doing.
Best Practice: Is your current marketing strategy moving people to take action? If not you might have to re-evaluate your business and lean more towards the people and the process than “promoting” the business itself.
Sweta Patel is a San Diego-based marketing entrepreneur whose company is Global Marketing Tactics.
