How to adapt your management to the personality of your salespeople

As a manager or store manager, you know that not all your employees have the same skills or the same personalities. This is what makes a team rich and what makes a manager’s job exciting. The challenge is to get the best out of each person’s style and their complementarity.

There are four main personality styles according to an American specialist who coaches managers and executives in retail and sales outlets.

Managing a “go-getter” salesperson

The “go-getter” or leader likes challenges. He wants to be “the one who sells the most” or “the one who achieves his objectives the fastest”. He is intuitive and easily identifies the advantages and benefits of a product. Give him all the characteristics of your premium products and give them hints on the situations in which they would be suitable for your customers. He will then adapt his arguments to his target.

How do you manage them?

• The go-getter needs to be in action and to feel important. Sales follow-up and recognition are essential for him.
• So avoid putting him at the cash register, but instead stimulate him with tips or articles on how to improve his sales skills, and offer to coach salespeople who are weaker or less comfortable.

Managing an “analytical” salespersonanalytical”

Analytical salespeople are Cartesians. They are perfectionists and pay attention to the smallest detail. Avoid giving them all the characteristics of your products. They risk reciting them to your customers without adapting them to the context. Apart from wasting time, your customer may think that your salesperson has not fully understood their needs.

How can you manage him?

• Use his analytical skills: position him on shelves or products that require more detailed explanations or comparisons.
• The analytical person is also very good at organising. Ask him to rethink your stock or the flow of goods in the shop to make it more fluid. Ask him to manage schedules or receipts.

Above all, it is important that they don’t feel left out. Analytics is not a bad salesperson, it just needs to be trained.

Managing an “expressive” salespersonexpressive” salesperson

The expressive salesperson is full of energy, spontaneous and brings a good mood to your shop.

How do you manage them?

• Expressive people like to meet people and reach out to them, so it would be a pity to put them at the checkout or in the storeroom. Instead, give them a coaching role to help create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
• The expressive person is very good at identifying new possibilities or innovative combinations. Introduce him to your new products and their characteristics. He will immediately identify complementarities with the products you already have. By offering related sales to your customers, you will boost your turnover.
• You can also ask him to make suggestions for defining commercial messages, especially for social networks. The expressive will transform your communication and make it more positive and dynamic.

Managing an “empathetic” salespersonempathetic” salesperson

The empath has a very social personality. He is also sensitive. He is afraid of risks and rejection, but will shine in safe environments. The likeable one is an excellent team leader or assistant manager.

How do you manage them?

• Listen to them and don’t be afraid to challenge their negativity with arguments that are both rational and more based on your own perception and feelings
• The likeable person likes to please, so avoid giving him the responsibility for the schedule as he will try to please everyone without succeeding. Instead, play on his emotional side by emphasising the joy he brings to customers, or by asking him to organise team building activities.

Of course, you can achieve your goals without adapting your management style to your employees. However, by building on each other’s strengths, your team will reach its full potential. You will feel it on your turnover. But above all, your customers will be greeted by friendly and smiling salespeople, which is the first step to a successful experience.

Do you have any tips or observations to share about management and reception at the point of sale?

Your comments are welcome.