Versatility:
This course explores the ability to be versatile. Versatility is about
being adaptable. Adaptability does not mean mimicking another
Personality-Style person – nor does it mean you no longer act like yourself or do
things that would not be either ethical, legal or ‘like you’. It simply
Communications
means adjusting your openness and directness, your pace and
priority to make a relationship work – to maintain the client’s
comfort throughout the buying and selling process. There are two parts to being adaptable – being
willing and being able.
As Dr. Alessandra, in his book The Platinum Principle explains it:
The Golden Rule
-
Treat others as you would like to be treated
The Platinum Rule
-
Treat others as they would like to be treated
A Few Issues As We Begin:
1. We are not here to judge people. None of these styles is the best, or better than another. All have
their pros and cons.

By discussing ‘types’ or ‘styles’ we are not attempting to put people in boxes or stereotype
anyone. Understanding someone’s behavioral style isn’t mutually exclusive with genuinely
getting to know them. If you can quickly pick up on another person’s needs’ based cues and
adapt your own behavior, you’ll learn to value others more genuinely.

Implementing versatility requires you to improve your listening skills. Good listening enriches
relationships and can help build a lasting rapport that is definitely not superficial.
2. Versatility is not manipulation. We are talking about learning to ‘speak their language’. It isn’t
considered manipulative to speak French when in Paris. It’s something you do briefly to be more
compatible. You don’t alter your basic nature while in France. Your ideas don’t change – but how
you present those ideas change. Versatility doesn’t change you or your clients – it empowers you by
making your communication skills work in a way which best relates to those around you.
3. Understanding the four basic styles will allow you to read and respond to others, reducing friction.
It will also help you see why you do what you do – that reduces friction, too.
4. Clients differ and have different expectations of the process. They give us signals when their
expectations are not met. We need to be aware of the signals and adapt to them – they will not
adapt to us.
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Throughout the course, we will be focusing on the needs of the buyers and the sellers. In order to
facilitate a transaction that meets the needs of the clients, agents must be able to:
Identify how a person’s behavioral patterns influence what that person wants, needs, and expects from
us and others, as well as how that person communicates those wants, needs, and expectations.
Adapt to people in a way that will reduce their tension, increase cooperation, prepare the clients for the
largest single monetary transaction they are likely to make in their entire lives and promote trust in the
process.
To be effective in helping your clients in the buying and selling process you need to be able to “read”
people. Reading people involves observing their behavior, being aware of their tone of voice and
actively listening to their words. It requires that you tune into them. Find their wavelength and
communicate with them on their channel, rather that expecting and waiting for them to communicate on
yours.
Versatility recognizes that people are different, that others may not wish to be treated the same way you
do. Patterns that work for you may not work for them. Versatility allows for individual differences and
preferences and serves as a useful guide for assisting the clients through their transactions.
To start, it is important that you recognize your personality style and the exercise on the following page
assists you in this. It is important to determine your style if your goal is to create an environment for your
clients that works for them – not for you!
Page |3
Circle the words that most describe you in your business relationships.
Precise
Skeptical
Decisive
Confident
Suspicious
Perfectionist
Frank
Domineering
Analytical
Unforgiving
Direct
Demanding
Introvert
Reliable
Impatient
Quick
Serious
Deep
Practical
Adventurous
Low key
Worrier
Entertaining
Optimistic
Adaptable
Patient
Spontaneous
Animated
Supportive
Loyal
Cheerful
Interrupts
Shy
Listener
Loud
Gregarious
Consistent
Stable
Enthusiastic
Creative
Page |4
Assertiveness (directness): the amount of involvement a
person uses to influence the thoughts
and actions of others
A
INDIRECT
B
C
D
DIRECT
Perceptions of Behavior
Perceptions of Behavior
Avoids risk
Takes risk
Slower to decide
Swift decisions
Infrequent:
- contributor to group
- use of gestures
- voice intonation
- expression of opinions
Frequent:
- contributor to group
- use of gestures
- voice intonation
- expression of opinions
Patient - cooperative
Impatient – competitive
Diplomatic
Confronting
Listens and asks
Talks and tells
Reserved - understated
Intense – assertive
Tends to follow rules/policies
Tends to bend rules/policies
Gentle handshake
Firm handshake
Intermittent eye contact
Sustained eye contact
Page |5
Responsiveness (openness): a person’s readiness and
willingness to outwardly show thoughts and feelings and accept
openness from others
Guarded
Guarded Behaviors
Cool
Formal and proper
1
Task oriented
Open Behaviors
Fact based decisions
Stays on subject
Warm, relaxed
Goes with agenda
Opinion/feeling oriented
Serious
2
Digresses often
Protects feelings
Intuition based decisions
Prefers planning
Goes with the flow
Independent worker
Spontaneous
Limited:
- nonverbal feedback
- facial expressions
- physical contact
Friendly
3
Expresses feelings
Flexible about how time is used
Responsive to:
- realities
- actual experience
- facts
Works in groups
Animated facial expressions
Non-verbal feedback likely
4
Open
Responsive to:
- dreams
- visions
- concepts
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DRIVER
ANALYTICAL
Precise
Skeptical
Decisive
Confident
Suspicious
Reliable
Frank
Domineering
Analytical
Unforgiving
Direct
Demanding
Introvert
Perfectionist
Impatient
Quick
Practical
Adventurous
Serious
1
Deep
A
B
Low key
Worrier
Adaptable
Patient
Supportive
2
C
D
Entertaining
Optimistic
Spontaneous
Animated
Loyal
Cheerful
Interrupts
Shy
Listener
Loud
Gregarious
Consistent
Stable
Enthusiastic
Creative
AMIABLE
3
4
EXPRESSIVE
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Two Focuses in Sales
Relationship Focus
Clients ask themselves
• are you trustworthy?
•
will this accomplish my needs?
•
will I be able to work with this person?
•
does this person care about me – or only the sale?
•
does this person have a clue?
Task Focus
Task tension is:
• the energy required to keep the sales relationship goal directed
•
can’t spend too much time socializing
•
focus your energy to move the sales process along
•
can this person get the job done?
•
does this person have a clue?
Our Goal – keep the task and relationship tension balanced
But – different people need different percentages – it’s not always 50/50
Page |8
Adjusting Pace and Priority
PACE ISSUES
Expressive + Driver
Both FAST paced
Amiable + Analytical
Both SLOW paced
PACE CONFLICT:
Expressive + Amiable
Expressive + Analytical
Driver + Amiable
Driver + Analytical
PRIORITY ISSUES
Analytical + Driver
Amiable + Expressive
Both TASK oriented
Both RELATIONSHIP oriented
PRIORITY CONFLICT:
Analytical + Expressive
Analytical + Amiable
Driver + Expressive
Driver + Amiable
PACE & PRIORITY ISSUES
Analytical + Expressive
Amiable + Driver
Pace & Priority both off – Most challenging
Page |9
Profile of Prospect Behavioral Style
Analytical
Driver
♦
Decision style is to look at options and weigh
probable outcomes and benefits
♦
They don’t need advice
They will question how you arrived at your
conclusions
♦
Want to get right down to business
♦
They want detailed step-by-step explanations
♦
Bottom-line orientation
♦
They want written proof of most everything
♦
Eliminate small talk
♦
Major benefits are those that satisfy their
dominant need for security
♦
May try to take control of presentation
♦
Firm decision makers
♦
Cautions in making decisions, they are prone
to think it over
♦
Major benefit – satisfy ego
♦
♦
Their decision style is to have all the facts,
details, figures
Amiable
Expressive
♦
Decision style is to seek
reassurance and guarantees
♦
Decision style – incentives and third party
testimonials.
♦
Will seek others’ advice and opinions
♦
Dislike detail – keep it fast paced
♦
Want you to be their friend
♦
Rather talk about themselves than hear about
you
♦
Like informal environment
♦
Can be demanding
♦
May not voice real concerns for fear of
sounding selfish
♦
Major benefits – personal needs
♦
Rely on intuition and impulse
♦
Prone to buyer’s remorse
♦
Need logical justification to back up their
decision
♦
Major benefits - those that affect their personal
circumstances and those around them
♦
Slow to make a decision – may want to ‘sleep
on it”
P a g e | 11
INCREASING ADAPTABILITY
ANALYTICALS NEED TO:
Openly show concern and appreciation
Occasionally try short cuts
Adjust more readily to change
Adapt and accept disorganization
Work on timely decision making
Initiate new projects
Compromise with the other side
Use policies as guidelines rather than laws
DRIVERS NEED TO:
Practice ‘active’ listening
Project a more relaxed image
Pace themselves and have patience
Develop, humility, sensitivity and empathy
Use more caution
Verbalize the reasons for conclusions
Identify with a group
Verbalize compliments to others
Be aware of policies and procedures
AMIABLES NEED TO:
EXPRESSIVES NEED TO:
Say ‘NO’ occasionally
Control time and emotions
Attend to tasks without oversensitivity to
other’s feelings
Develop a more objective mindset
Take risks by stretching beyond comfort zone
Delegate to others
Accept necessary changes in procedures
and routine
Verbalize feelings and thoughts to
appropriate people
Take a more logical approach
Follow through on agreements
Concentrate on the task at hand
Try to complete what you start
Spend more time checking, verifying,
specifying and organizing
P a g e | 12
What Describes You?
Precise
Skeptical
Decisive
Confident
Suspicious
Perfectionist
Frank
Domineering
Analytical
Unforgiving
Direct
Demanding
Introvert
Reliable
Impatient
Quick
Serious
Deep
Practical
Adventurous
Low key
Worrier
Entertaining
Optimistic
Adaptable
Patient
Spontaneous
Animated
Supportive
Loyal
Cheerful
Interrupts
Shy
Listener
Loud
Gregarious
Consistent
Stable
Enthusiastic
Creative