By
Bob Phibbs
You're obviously looking for my social styles personality test and luckily you found it.
There are a lot of quizzes to help people discover which personality type they are. I've taken the Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) and while a lot of people use them to discover their own communication styles, for many people, it is too much to try to remember. This all comes from an innate desire for people to understand their own behavior.
Have you ever really hit it off with someone – as if you knew them all your life? How about the opposite when you couldn’t do anything to build rapport?
Too many people working in retail interact with their customers using the same responses, the same demeanor, and energy level as if they were a search engine with feet, “What are you looking for? We have it right over here. Ready to check out?"
Treating everyone the same way gives you a hit-or-miss success rate. Why?
Because not everyone processes information as you do. They have different strengths and weaknesses as well as very different interpersonal skills. You need to be more creative with each person you talk to so they – and you – can feel comfortable with each other. That comes from understanding the four personalities.
When you understand personality traits - including whether you are an Amiable, a Driver personality type, an Analytical, or Expressive you are able to talk to strangers in the way they want to hear you.
After understanding personal styles you will know how to engage people more quickly and work better as part of a team.
The search to understand others' temperaments and behavioral styles has existed since the beginning of time. Why? Because we each have noticed certain types of people that are easy to deal with and others just, well, aren't.
Have you had that exasperating moment when you were trying to train someone and you finally said, "I just don't know how to reach them!".
Or maybe you had a boss whose communication style just got under your skin for nitpicking everything you did?
Years ago I learned the power of knowing my own personality style, and I've found it helpful to not only manage employees better but also advance my retail sales training and consulting programs.
No matter what your business is, you should know which of the four types best represent you. Using personality testing is a great way to understand your own leadership style as well. Once you know that you will be able to understand:
• What ticks you off in a relationship is as much your fault as the other person's and why.
• Which personalities you'll feel comfortable with and which ones you probably won't hire.
See also, How To Use Personality Styles To Improve Conversion Rates Of Your Retail Salespeople
In Sum
No, it's not scientific because ultimately any personality assessment is a self-test - you'll be the one saying it's right or wrong. But I've found couples understanding their relationships better, business owners clarifying their understanding of the opportunities to grow their business, and employees able to sell to the individual in front of them quicker by reading their profile and then becoming a chameleon.
After all, we all have elements of all four traits, we just have to call on different strengths and weaknesses within ourselves to serve others.
So what do you have to lose?
Take this free personality test and you'll be presented with additional information about Driver, Analytical, Expressive, and Amiable personality types.
