As Americans celebrate our 250^th anniversary of Independence, we reflect on the freedoms we enjoy.

In sales, however, we don’t always feel free. Let me explain . . .

Earlier in my sales career, I was trained in a sales process that I was to use no matter what the client wanted. It was a cookie cutter approach. Some prospects were open to my approach; others were not. Without an alternative I wasn’t able to engage in real, two-way communication. I was stuck with one sales approach, and one way of presenting their value.

Are you one of these sales managers?

Or can you embrace that the greatest freedom in selling comes when we stop trying to make customers buy the way we sell and start understanding their needs and how they prefer to buy.

That’s where Personality Styles become a game changer.

Each Personality Style has their own preference on communication and how they define value. I like to say, “value is in the eyes of the beholder.” Salespeople are trained in the company’s products and services and how to differentiate their value compared to the competition. No matter what your value is, remember to communicate in a way that your customer appreciates, instead of how you were taught.

You might share the economic value of your solution because that is your biggest differentiator. A strong return on investment, a huge increase in productivity, and even a great internal rate of return that improves cash flow. But if your customer is a Blue personality, they’re more interested in how your solution will make life better for their employees and how it improves the service they provide to their customers.

You might enjoy being the center of attention and love to present. But if you are selling to a Gold personality, they expect a balanced conversation with an agenda. Greens expect less small talk and more data.

A lot of sellers pursue a career in sales for the freedom it allows.

The freedom to prospect certain type of customers, to make our own schedule, to create our approach to build a relationship with a customer. Part of that freedom is creativity. Sales is not only the science of selling, it’s the art – your approach, your individuality and certainly your personality. It’s what makes selling such an exciting career. I believe one of the greatest joys is to serve a customer in a way that makes them happy to do business with you. That is so fulfilling and the reward, in addition to closing the sale, might just be a great referral.

So, as we celebrate this 250th anniversary of July 4^th, let’s also celebrate the art of selling and the awesome responsibility that comes with serving your customers. Never take it for granted, remembering to keep the uniqueness of each individual client top of mind.

And it all begins when I see a customer for the first time. I like to ask myself, who am I with? What is their personality and their view? How do they prefer to communicate and what do they value? That’s when I like to ask, “When it comes to ______ what’s most important to you?”

Their answer can tell you a lot about their Personality Style and how to best serve their needs.

Happy 4^th of July!

Stu