Kind and Reassuring, or They’ll Disappear!

Unlike the last two groups we looked at who like to see things moving along fast, this more Reserved group won’t appreciate being rushed through the process - especially when tension is building! While we can expect confrontation from the DRIVEN group and often a sarcastic comment (or fifty) from the INSPIRING group, the folks who tend to be more SHY are more likely to do all they possibly can to avoid ruffling anyone’s feathers. And in many cases, this very SUPPORTIVE group will accept the loss and be on their way.

With the exception of what I dealt with just this past week, I’ve rarely ever been in a customer service situation where the person tasked with handling the issue wasn’t trying to find a resolution as quickly as possible. Not only did the folks I was interacting with seem unconcerned about the amount of time it was taking, they clearly had no real interest in solving the problem either… The typical approach of fixing the issue as quickly as possible and moving on to the next person in line will often be just fine for the folks who have those last two primary behavior styles, but this Slower-Paced and People-Centered group rarely likes being rushed through anything - and they’ll be especially put off when they feel like it’s to get rid of them or they’re not truly appreciated!

In total, the previous two Outgoing groups we discussed represent around 40% of the population. And regardless of how they express their frustration when an issue needs to be resolved, there’s little chance it will go unnoticed… This STEADY group we’re digging into today, at around 35% of everyone we’ll ever meet, makes up almost as much of the world as those last two primary styles combined. What makes that even more important when working to resolve a less than ideal situation is that they absolutely will not make a big deal of it. They’re generally very SWEET and SINCERE, and do not like adversity. Rather than addressing something head on, they’re quite likely to accept it as a loss and move on with their lives. And if that happens, we may NEVER see them again...

When we do have the opportunity to help turn a mistake into a great customer experience for this group, we’d do well to show them genuine appreciation for their business and the chance to make things right. We don’t want to call unnecessary attention to them in the process, and we should work to keep things as close to the STATUS-QUO as we possibly can as change can also be difficult for them to accept.

Showing this group appreciation and compassion will remove much of the stress from this situation, but we’d better be prepared to handle a lot of questions when dealing with the group we’ll look at next! Until then, I want to make sure you’re in the loop on all the bonuses you’ll have access to with the 2020 LIVE2LEAD:Harrisonburg virtual experience that’s just over two weeks away! Hope you can join us!