MASS MEDIOCRITY AND THE MOTIVATION PEOPLE PATTERN™

“Human nature is such that if we are relatively content, then we are not going to be motivated to do anything to change our comfort zone, whether it be now or later.” Marilyne Woodsmall

Why is this so? It is because when people have already gotten all the carrots and sticks they think they need to lead what they believe to be an acceptable lifestyle, then they no longer have that fire burning within to move any farther. Life is okay as is, nothing more nothing less, no bells and whistles; yet this is satisfactory to them so they don’t care to budge one bit. These are the very people who end up staying in jobs for years and are quite content to do so.

Most people are mired in mediocrity. All too sad yet true. These are the so-called masses. And these are precisely the people who don’t want to change even if they have the opportunity to do so as I’ll explain shortly.

This has major implications regarding motivation in the workplace. There are basically four reasons why people aren’t motivated:

1. People who are move toward in orientation and have nothing towards which to move.

2. People who are move away from and have nothing from which to move away.

3. People who are move toward and who have reached their set goals and have nothing else to get them out of their satisfaction zone.

4. People who are move away from and who have somehow managed to move away from all the things which they would like to avoid.

The last two types are the most challenging elements in any workforce because they don’t want to move in any direction. These people are a nightmare to any team, to any manager, to any organization, to anyone who wants to get ahead because they are indifferent to change. These people are the masses, the people who are content to live their lives in mediocrity.

Once again, the Motivation People Pattern is the basis of everything that we do in life, or don’t do for that matter. Imagine the possibilities if we could move people from relatively content to ecstatic and beyond! Tune in for more next time.

ARE ALL TYPES THE SAME?

PEOPLE PATTERNS™ VS MEYERS-BRIGGS – PART II

In the first part of this discussion, we discussed the two points: 1) the concept of typologies from a perspective of formal logic and 2) the different forms of typologies. As mentioned, Meyers-Briggs presents immutable boxes or preferences, whereas we know that types can be changed, given our work in behavioral change technologies. Second, we discussed how Meyers-Briggs and People Patterns™ are what we refer to as horizontal typologies.

Now we are going to present the third concept that relates to typologies, that of contextuality. It is critically important to realize that all behavior is context dependent. This is one of the fundamental principles of NLP. In fact, all behaviors change depending on the context in which they occur. What this means is that you may behave or act in a particular way, for example, in a work context, while at home, you behave totally differently because it is a different context. So in one context, you’ll behave one way, and when you shift contexts, your behavior shifts as well. With People Patterns™, we constantly emphasize that they are context dependent. Myers-Briggs does not take this into account.

The notion of context and contextuality in our typologies (in this case, People Patterns™) is critically important. It is a concept that is a vital component to all behaviors, and thus, to typologies. Context, for our People Patterns™ takes into account several elements:

1. Where you are (for example in work, at home, at school, driving, etc.)

2. What are the circumstances in which you are behaving a certain way

3. When are you behaving a particular way

Now let us consider the fourth concept regarding typologies, that of deep structure and refinement. What we call People Patterns™ that make up one’s Personality Language™ goes beyond what the four Meyers-Briggs categories cover in their scope. People Patterns™ take the types to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of what is involved:

Sensor/Intuitor: our Tangible/Intangible People Pattern™ is more refined.

Introvert/Extrovert: our Internal/External People Pattern™ is more refined.

Judger/Perceiver: our Structurist/Free Spirit (through time/in time dichotomy) People Pattern™ is more refined.

Thinker/Feeler: Our Decision People Pattern™ (looks right, sounds right, feels right and makes sense) is more refined. Also, the Chunk Size People Pattern™ clarifies this Meyers-Briggs preference.

Now, our People Pattern™ Profile is different from others that are out there in that we are not looking for content based responses. Our work is based on decoding what I refer to as the deep structure (as in linguistics), and here, the deep structure of the psyche. In this case, it is the deep structure of your thinking and of your behavior, rather than the specific content.

At another time, we will discuss the deep structure differences between the two typologies a bit more.

DO TESTIMONIALS REALLY WORK?

Long before the internet came along, people have been giving testimonials for products. TV sales have always played a huge part in the conspicuous consumer society in which we live and still do so today. With the onset of the internet, we have been overwhelmed with the typical and quite annoying bottomless sales letter that is riddled with endorsements and testimonials to convince prospective buyers to purchase a product or service.

And with TV shopping channels like QVC and the Home Shopping Network, testimonials play an increasingly important role in selling. Or do they? The question is do they really work with everyone? The answer is NO, NO, NO!!!

In fact, only about half of the population cares about what others think about a product before they buy it. The other half simply couldn’t care less what other people say about what they are buying. Which type are you? And more important, which type are your customers? Just because you may like to hear what other people are saying about products before purchasing them doesn’t mean that all of your customers think the same way. Or you may not care about testimonials and yet some of your customers won’t buy your products without them.

Are you a person who thrives on hearing what others have to say about a particular product? Or are you a person who can’t stand listening to or to reading about what people are saying about a product or service that you are contemplating buying? And there is another possibility as well. Are you someone who occasionally likes to read or to hear testimonials from certain individuals? How you answer these questions is quite revelatory.

In fact, it will determine still another People Pattern™ that comprises what we call Personality Language™. It is called the Evaluation People Pattern™. This all important Evaluation People Pattern™ determines how an individual makes a judgment, and in the context of this discussion, how an individual makes a judgment to buy a product or service. The emphasis is on how and not why.

Basically there are two major elements that make up the Evaluation People Pattern™. There are some individuals who make decisions to buy based on internal criteria and then there are some individuals who make decisions to buy based on external criteria. Those who make buying decisions based on internal criteria have what we refer to as an Internal Referential Filter or People Pattern™. They simply know inside that what they are doing or what they are buying, in this case, is the right thing for them. Those who make buying decisions based on external criteria have what we refer to as an External Referential Filter or People Pattern™. They need to hear what others think and tend not to buy anything without this feedback.

There are also some Internal People who, under certain circumstances, don’t mind having an expert give advice or information about a product, and only if it is information from an expert and not just anyone offering their opinion.

The bottom line is that Internal People don’t need feedback from others when it comes to buying products or services (unless, as mentioned, they want expert information under some circumstances); and External People need feedback before they purchase something. External People are often incapable of buying something without hearing first what other people think about it.

What this means for you in sales is that you have to tailor your communication on your sales page and/or in your presentation to both include testimonials for External People as well as include phrases that target the Internal People among your customers. Tune in next time to learn how to communicate with both types of customers in your audience, those with an Internal Referential Filter and those with an External Referential Filter.

By Marilyne Woodsmall

THE LOOKS RIGHT BUYER

As we mentioned in our introductory overview of the Decision People Pattern™, there are four reasons why people make the decisions that they do. It is because something either:

1. Looks right

2. Sounds right

3. Feels right or

4. Makes Sense

When we discuss someone having one of the above four elements of the “Decision People Pattern™, what this means is that a person is using a particular formula which we call a mental “strategy” to make a given decision.

Today we are going to discuss the first component of the Decision People Pattern™, the looks right pattern. First, what does it mean to have a “looks right” decision making pattern? A looks right person literally makes decisions based on a visual representation in his or her mind that literally looks right to him or to her. In reality, what the person is doing is creating an ideal image and a series of each of the alternatives. What actually happens is that the looks right person is comparing each of the alternatives, outside of his or her conscious awareness, to the ideal in his or her mind. The right match between the ideal and one of the alternatives triggers the decision. If there is no match, the looks right person generates more alternatives and if there is still no match, then the person ends up looking for more data to make a decision or else settles for less.

We have greatly simplified the process here, for we normally teach these patterns in the context of an entire workshop. So this is simply a brief overview of the looks right buyer.

How would you tailor your approach to the looks right buyer? There are several things that you can do. First it will be to your advantage to present a proper physical appearance for the presentation, whether it be in person or on a video. Tidiness, good hygiene and neatness are all factors that appeal to a looks right buyer or customer. Think about how many times you’ve heard about someone not buying a product because the buyer did not like the way the seller looked. The basic overall impression that you give from the start is critical. Even if visual factors don’t mean anything to you, they are vital to making a sale with a looks right person.

In terms of the actual sale, make sure that you have visual material on hand. If it is an in-person presentation, have slides, photos and sufficient graphic material to support your sale. By not having the visual support, you are literally not meeting the looks right buyer in his world. Also, colors impact looks right people much more than black and white. Looks right people need to see the product you are selling or to see the result of your service. If it is a service you are providing, then you want to be able to show the potential customer the work done and the result. In today’s world, video clips afford a convenient and economical way to provide these visual stimuli to the looks right person.

If you are selling a product or service that lends itself to an actual demonstration, then by all means, do so. Show them how to use it and in your explanation, be certain to use visual language. Another effective strategy is to have other people in your video or in a one on one presentation to demonstrate how to use your product. Telling stories about the effectiveness of your product (always be truthful) is a huge part of selling to looks right buyers. This is because telling stories makes them create imagery in their minds.

So the bottom line is that to increase your sales, you have to be able to tailor your communication to the mindset of the looks right buyer by applying what you have learned about the looks right pattern of the Decision People Pattern™. You will be amazed at just how much you have grown in your own awareness of self and others.

Next time we will discuss the second component of the Decision People Pattern™.

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS, OR IS IT?

By Marilyne Woodsmall

One of the biggest challenges for a salesperson is to know how much detail to give about a product or service. We have found that most salespeople have a tendency to keep talking until they get or lose the sale. Such an approach means that these salespeople are losing out on half of their potential customers. What they fail to realize is that some buyers want a lot of information and some require very little information.

The amount of information that a person wants or needs in a communication exchange is determined by what we refer to as the Global/Specific or Chunk Size Information People Pattern™. This powerful pattern reveals the quantity of information presented or how much information a person desires in a given communication.

The Chunk Size Information People Pattern™ (which is another element of one’s Personality Language™) is comprised of two types of people, and in the case of sales, of two distinctive types of buyers. Those who want a lot of information are called specific buyers and those who do not require a lot of information are called global buyers. Let us take a look at each.

Specific prospects want to know everything that there is to know about a product. They require a lot of information and a lot of detail in the information in order to make a buying decision. In fact, they will keep asking the salesperson for more and more detail. If the salesperson is not able to provide this, then the specific prospect will think that he or she is either not knowledgeable about the product that he or she is selling or that the salesperson has something to hide. Either way, it means bad news for the salesperson.

Global prospects, on the other hand, need very little information in order to make a buying decision. Too much information will turn them off, confuse them or make them suspicious. They will usually not ask detailed questions. If the salesperson keeps providing information they will not listen and will be completely turned off.

How does a salesperson know whether they are dealing with a global or specific buyer? Listen carefully to the way that the prospect describes his or her needs. Does the prospect provide a lot of specific details or does the prospect just give you vague, general information? Also, determine if the prospect asks a lot of questions or if he or she doesn’t ask questions at all.

The general rule of thumb is this. Provide the prospect with as much information as he or she needs to make a buying decision and no more. Often salespeople keep providing information in order to delay closing. This is a mistake. Close early and close often. If you close and the prospect needs more information, then they will ask for it. Once the prospect is sold, then shut up and close. Once you close, wait for a yes or a no. Adding more information at this point merely takes the prospect off the hook.

So the bottom line is to apply the Global/Specific Information People Pattern™ in all of your sales presentations to make a solid impact on the buyer or buyers with whom you are communicating. If you apply this pattern in sales, you will enhance your sales and you will connect with your customers more readily. If you don’t do this, you’ll be missing out on half of your customers and prospects and you will end up losing sales.

The Great Computer Wars Part 2 – Options And Procedures

Here is the second part of of our story.

The Activity People Pattern from Personality Language ™.

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY: THAT IS THE QUESTION

The holiday season is upon us and it is time when gift giving takes center stage. With the economy in a downturn, the retail industry is holding its breath to see whether traditionally higher holiday sales will be the exception or the rule this year. Whether the buying activity occurs at crowding malls with droves of people searching for super bargains or whether it occurs on the web where consumers are surfing away precious hours trying to grab the best deal for a given product, buying behavior can be predicted based on particular patterns known as People Patterns™.

These patterns are ingrained perceptual filters, which, in the context of sales, determine and explain specific aspects of buying behavior and have major implications for anyone who sells products anywhere, whether online, one on one, or in retail stores.

Today I’ll mention one of these mental patterns which has to do with so-called buyer’s remorse. It is called the Organization People Pattern™. It deals with the way a person organizes time and space, which, in turn, affects the way in which people make decisions. Interestingly, it is this People Pattern™ which reveals one’s proclivity towards so called buyer’s remorse. TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY: THAT IS THE QUESTION!

From a sales perspective it is critically important to know why some people make quick buying decision while others hesitate. Also, why do some buyers keep purchases while others often tend to change their mind about the purchase of a given product or service? The answer lies in the Organization People Pattern™. The tendency towards buyer’s remorse is based on a large part on the two elements of the Organization People Pattern™: whether a person is what we call a Structurist or a Free Spirit.

A Structurist is a person who likes to live life according to a specific plan. These people lead organized lives and don’t like surprises. They like to have things planned out ahead of time and like agendas, day planners, lists, and the like. From a buying perspective, Structurists are the ones who stick to their decisions. Once they buy something, they will tend to keep the items unless they learn some information or acquire some valid data about the product or service that puts it in a negative light.

For the most part, Structurists don’t change their mind unless a situation warrants it. Furthermore, Structurists keep commitments and expect others to do the same. The business world runs on a Structurist rule book and those who are Free Spirit in orientation have a hard time fitting the Structurist mold, which they perceive to be rigid and inflexible.

Free Spirits, on the other hand, like to live their lives spontaneously. What they perceive to be the rigidity of the Structurists gets in the way of their spontaneity and fun. They detest organization and prefer to live in the moment. Free Spirits tend to take things as they arise and they don’t have any desire to plan things in advance. Future consequence of action, such as in buying a particular item, does not enter into their mode of thinking because they are so focused on the present moment.

When it comes to buying, the decisiveness of the Structurist is diametrically opposed to the indecisiveness of the Free Spirit person. The Free Spirit person will rarely have a decisive answer. They do not like closure. Even when they buy a given product, there is always a much higher risk of buyer’s remorse that totally drives Structurists crazy.

So knowing which type of person your customer may be will help you to tailor your sales presentation to fit the Personality Language™ of your customer. For example, in selling to a Structurist, be sure to present your product or service in an organized and systematic manner. Be sure to focus on both present and future consequences of purchasing your product.

If you are selling to a Free Spirit, it is important to be as flexible as contextually possible. Don’t expect the person to adhere to a deadline or to a time frame. And appear to be spontaneous.

If you understand these two elements of the Organization People Pattern™, you will be better equipped to deal with all of your customers and you will be able to satisfy them so that they won’t return your product.

Happy Holidays!

© Copyright 2009 by Marilyne Woodsmall, Ph.M., All Rights Reserved

We recently heard a comment by former President Bill Clinton that there is a great right wing conspiracy against President Obama. As we often see, so much of politics is all about spinning things against the opponent. Seldom do you hear politicians speak about what they stand for or what they can do for the people. Instead, they spend their time attacking opponents. This is sometimes called negative campaigning. Such a strategy is not limited to one political party or another since all of them engage it this type of behavior.

The question is: Why does this happen? There is, in fact, a behavioral root cause to such behavior. This type of behavior occurs time and time again because it works. There are two parts to the equation. Either people vote for candidates they like or else, more typically, they vote for candidates they don’t like. This is a reflection of human nature and happens to correspond to a behavioral pattern which we refer to as the Motivation People Pattern™. It is one of a series of powerful inherent patterns that together form what we call Personality Language™.

The reason why we do things in life comes down to one of two reasons which correspond to the two elements of the Motivation People Pattern™:

1. Either we do things to get something we want

or

1. We do things to avoid something we don’t want.

People who do things because they want to get something they want are called move toward people. Those who do things because they want to avoid what they don’t want are called move away from people.

This dichotomy manifests in all areas of life and it happens to be true in politics as well. In most cases, voters don’t know what they want, yet they know what they don’t want. Politicians know this and they try to be as vague as possible in order to have a minimal chance of offending anyone.

The reality of the situation is that most people don’t know what they want.

Avoiding the things you don’t want, doesn’t give you what you want. It only gives you what you don’t want. So what to do? We suggest that the most important thing to do is to decide what you want. Once you decide what you want, the next step is to take action to make this a reality. This is critical and once you do so, you will be much happier.

© Copyright 2009, by Marilyne Woodsmall, Ph. M., and Wyatt Woodsmall, Ph.D.

www.personalitylanguage.com

THE SCIENCE OF IDIOTS™ AND PERSONALITY LANGUAGE™

How is it possible to be an idiot?  Seriously!  Do you know any people whom you think are idiots? Why are they idiots? Frankly, it takes real talent to be an idiot.  Is it because they are crazy, dangerous or stupid? Or is it because they are mean, spiteful or vindictive?  Is it because they are sick, deranged or broken?  Or is it because they just exist to make your life miserable?  All of us have met people like this at some point.

So what is the real reason that we think that people are idiots?  People are idiots because they think differently than we do. People are idiots because they feel differently than we do.  People are idiots because they have different ideas as to what is important than we do.  And amazingly enough, from their perspective we are the ones who are idiots? 

So what are we to do about all of these idiots?  We can curse them or curse our bad luck to have met them and often we do.  But there is another approach.  It would seem that everyone is an idiot to someone else. So we are all idiots.  We are just different kinds of idiots. In fact, the only real idiots are the ones who don’t realize that everyone, including ourselves, is an idiot. Knowing this, just what are we to do?

  What we need to do is to become knowledgeable about idiocy from a serious perspective. We can acquire this knowledge by learning about what we refer to as “The Science of Idiots™ of which Personality Language™ is a part. We need to know what kind of idiot that we are and what kind of idiot with whom we are dealing.  If we want to influence people in a positive way and have them do things that we want, then we need to understand what kind of idiot that they are. We need to be able to state what we want them to do in a way that makes sense to them.

This is how Personality Language™ will help us present our message in a way that others will understand from their perspective. When we can do this, we will be successful in any context of our life, both personal and business.

The Print Version of   “Personality Language” ™  is scheduled to be released August 14th, 2009.

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