Networking with Influencers

We are continuing our discussion of how to network with different behavior styles. Specifically this conversation is about building relationships with others by treating them the way they want to be treated. Once we have made the realization that they z others may not want to be treated the same way that we do, it opens our eyes to many things.

Have you ever wondered why someone behaved a certain way, did something that made no sense to you?

This usually happens because we have different motivations. Each behavior style has different reactions, motivations and ways to recharge. Understanding these things about the different behavior styles helps us to better understand them, and then understanding them better, we can focus on building the relationship.

The second behavior style that comes in the DISC arrangement is the “I” or influencer. The influencer is a fast paced people person. They are described as convincing, magnetic, political, enthusiastic, persuasive, warm, demonstrative, trusting, and optimistic. People that score high in the “I” quadrant tend to be motivated by being liked, they genuinely like others and prefer to spend their time with and around people.

“I”s are fun loving folks, and motivated by having fun with others. You may ask, “gosh, who isn’t motivated by having fun?” Well, last week we looked at the “D” behavior style. “D’s” are motivated by accomplishing tasks and getting things done. Even though both of these behavior styles are fast paced, the “D” is more concerned with tasks, the “I” is more concerned with people.

One thing that is very important to note when studying the behavior styles is that none of us are purely one style or the other. We are all blends of the four styles, with varying levels of influence from the four quadrants.  This means that each of us is unique and should be treated uniquely. Pay attention to your referral partners and sources. Learn how to determine what motivates them.

Come out to our Referral Success Program for Oct and learn much more about the behavior styles and how to work with them, I promise you will see results, have fun, learn how to work with others better and learn a lot of information.

Networking with Driven/Dominant individuals.

So, last week we talked about treating others the way they want to be treated. How can we do this, it is hard for us to realize how others would like to be treated, because we so often think that they are like us. We use a four quadrant approach to studying behavior styles that is based on the work of William Moulton Marston PhD (1893–1947). It is also related originally to the Four Temperaments Theory systemized by the Greek physician Hippocrates.

Today we will begin with the first behavior represented by the letter D. This behavior style is driven, dominant, demanding, determined, and decisive. They are recognized as doers.

What we want to know is how to recognize, and then work with referral partners that primarily behave as “D”’s.

“D”s are result driven individuals. They seek concise and to the point communication, they are motivated by task accomplishment, and are high paced.  With practice and close observation, you can begin to recognize those that have this behavior style. They tend to dress conservatively, preferring dark colors, focusing on business and results more than popular interaction. They tend to be fast paced, busy people that are competitive and like to win, they like new ideas and to focus as mentioned on results.

As mentioned last week, according to the Platinum Rule, to get along best, we should treat others as they prefer to be treated. This means that when we are working with a referral source that is a “D” we should focus on results, keep the conversation moving at a rapid pace, focus on the highlights and not get bogged down details. Furthermore, we should keep the interaction focused on business.

With this said, it is very possible to interact with any of the four behavior styles no matter your style, the important ingredient to make this work is knowledge of the behavior styles and how they can work together. Come out to the advanced training in Oct to find out more about Networking with Behavior Styles.

The Platinum Rule and Networking

So we all know and understand the Golden Rule. We may not follow it, but I think we all know this rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This phrasing is the phrasing found in the Christian Bible, in the book of Matthew. This ethical code or morality is attributed to Jesus, but was not named the Golden Rule until more recently. It is also known as the ethic of reciprocity. The concept was present in certain forms in the philosophies of ancient Babylon, Egypt, India, Greece, Judea, and China. Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways, but its most common Modern English phrasing first appeared in a Catholic catechism around 1567.

So, you may be asking how this relates to referrals and marketing. Well, I want to use this rule as a basis for a slightly modified and updated ethic known as the Platinum Rule. The Platinum Rule teaches us to treat others as they want to be treated.

Wait a minute, you mean to say that how I want to be treated and how others want to be treated may be different. Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Each of us is different. A simple example with me would be that when I am sick, I want to be left alone. No coddling, no babying, no sweet gestures, let me alone so that I can heal. The most I may want would be help getting something that I need, i.e. go to the store for something when I am feeling too bad to go.

I understand that this is drastically different than what many of you might want. Imagine the shock I had when I learned that. I had grown up with the golden rule, and upon learning more about behavior styles, I learned that many folks were different from me, and wanted to be treated differently.

I now work to apply the Platinum Rule though, this can be hard if others don’t let us know how they want to be treated. That is what we are going to work on this month. Learning how to spot different behavior styles, so that we can treat them the way they would like to be treated. This will greatly aid us building relationships and referral partners.

Good Luck and Good Networking.