Are You Red Green Blue or Yellow Leader

You could say that having a good understanding of the core needs of customers are the basics of any effective customer service. ISO9001, the international standard for quality management puts "Clients Requirements" at the centre of the standard. Throughout my more than 10 years of experience working in customer service, also the related training events attended, I have studied the many and varied classifications applied to customers. I have found the majority to be extremely complicated, unengaging and disconnected from real life.

One of my favourite classifications is the one proposed by Professor Rolf Schirm. His theory is both easy to digest and to apply in real life. The beauty of it is that it can be easily used not only in customer service, but for any kind of daily communications which we engage in.

His method classifies people into 3 main personality types: red, green and blue.

Red: These people live in the present moment; they love risks and are natural leaders. They love being the centre of attention, being active, being loud and to express their opinion. They always say what they think and are ready to stand up for their opinion. They cannot hide their emotions and are very spontaneous. Patience is not their virtue. Acting in an overly emotional way, they often say things that they will later regret.

An employee with a vivid "Red" personality is very persistent, quickly achieves goals. "Impossible" does not exist for this person. However these people may be having problems with long term planning, and can be too emotional when talking to customers. As they live in the here and now, they will be expecting other people to make immediate decisions as well, which may cause misunderstanding between them and people of a different personality type.

This person is lacking in patience. Also, "red" personalities often classify people around them into those who are standing lower than them, or are above them, in accordance with their inner personal criteria. To be able to have good relations with their manager, they need to see their manager as being better than them in one of the criteria important for themselves (more experienced, more knowledgeable, etc.) otherwise at some point they may start to carry out  inner or outer sabotage.

Blue: Live in the far future. Do not do anything without prior planning. Analyse all possible risks and results. Plan their time really well and have good time management skills.

They have very closed personality and need a lot of time to open up and make friends. Have a very narrow circle of people with whom they are open and who they can trust. They understand other people's feelings and emotions. However they do not like opening up their own feelings/emotions with others. Might seem to be emotionally cold people but in fact may be hiding a lot of emotional storms inside.

They have their own opinion about everything, but they are not always quick to express themselves.

If your employee has a vivid "Blue" personality they will be the one who will be fast to grasp the essence of things. They will investigate deeply the area that they are working on. They are an excellent negotiator due to their natural ability to explain things very well, with clear logic and patience. They will not won't carry fortresses, as a "Red" one might, but will patiently strive towards their goals. However if their manager is "Red" then their line manager may not understand such a strategy. If their manager values patience, they will gain an amazing employee. However with an emotionally unstable manager wanting to see immediate results, a "Blue" employee will not get do well in such a relationship.

A "blue" person is self-rigorous. They can re-do their work many times if they are not satisfied with the result, even if it seemed perfect to everyone else.

"Blue's" should learn how to make decisions quicker as at times it takes them too long to decide doing on a course of action.

Green: Live in the past and focus on the experience that they have gained. They feel more secure if they are dealing with something that they already know They like stability and will avoid any big changes.

Have a deep necessity for communication. Have a lot of friends and acquaintances. "Green's" will be the ones truly interested in how you are feeling. They will be willing to listen and give you advice.

Have very good intuition.

Employees with "Green" personality can quickly make contacts with people, gaining their sympathy. They are open and friendly. They are not as persistent as a "Red", but they should not worry about this as they are able to build long term relationships with everyone. "Greens" have a lot of fresh ideas.

The downside of it this is that they do not realise that not all people need communication as much as they do. Communication in such high volume can be quite annoying for a "Blue" customer.

Please note that each one of us has qualities of all of those types. One however is likely to be a dominating type.

For example:

If  "Red" personalities have "Blue" as their second colour, they are less spontaneous in their decisions and so they are likely to plan their success. If there is not enough "Green" they will be lacking interpersonal skills.

If "Red" have "Green" as their second colour, they will be able to compromise and won't be trying to call the shots. Lacking "Blue" characteristics will lead to poor time management and planning skills here.

If "Blue" people have "Red" as their second colour then strong logic will be supported by strong will and rough methods of obtaining the goals. Can be a very difficult people to deal with. Will be trying to proof their opinion even through aggression. Lacking "Green" qualities will mean that these people will have difficulties in communications with others.

If "Blue" people have "Green" as a second colour it is easier for them to communicate with new people. Their logical mind will be enriched with good intuition and will have a very good nature. Lacking "Red" will mean lacking leadership skills and strong will, as well as a determination to start doing something.

If "Green" have "Red" as their second colour, then they will not be willing to compromise and will be more goal oriented. Lacking "Blue" will mean lacking time management skills and understanding of the big picture and end result.

If "Green" people have "Blue" as their secondary colour, then their contacts will be more selective. They will know how to plan their time. Lacking "Red" will mean lack of will to win and persistence in achieving the goals.

SO, how do all of the above relate to customer service?

If your customer is RED

The leading necessity of a Red customer is prestige. Their watch, clothes, shoes will be expensive and fashionable. They will judge you by the way you are dressed and how confident your behaviour and speech shows you to be. If you sound confident, then they might consider continuing communicating with you. If you sound unsure of yourself, then they may not continue communications with you no matter how good your offer might be.

Red customer is the only type of customer that will be able to make a decision about a purchase at the time of the conversation. During the negotiation, they may  try to dominate, but if you are able to stay professional and confident, they may become your partner/make a purchase. Only patience and confidence will win this type of customer.

If your customer is BLUE

That person will be patient and logic, however they will ask a lot of questions about any service or product. They will need to know things up to and including the smallest details and will ask more and more questions that may irritate a "Red" person. A dominant factor for such person is Safety and Saving money. Hence they will ask many questions to avoid any surprises about a purchase or service and they will try to find a way to obtain a better price. Not because they are poor, but because they plan their finances well. To be able to make a purchase they need to visualise the  purchase in their mind, get used to that idea, understand the benefits they will get as well as well as understanding other options available to them. All of that requires a lot of time. Hence "Blue" customers will rarely make a decision here and now. They do need their time. You should never put pressure on those customers as they won't tolerate this well and will so may not make a purchase at all. The best approach is being ready to wait, provide as much information as they need, at a pace of their choosing and ensure that they feel that you understand and can fulfil their needs. If you give them your time, you gain a loyal customer for the long term.

If the customer is GREEN

These customers enjoy and value attention and communication. It is important for them that you are interested in their needs and their situation. They feel any insincerity. It is important to make a first good impression with these customers and to talk on the topics outside of the purchase itself, to build rapport. If these customers like you, they can make an emotional purchase, otherwise it will take them time to decide as these customers wish to avoid risk. These customers value comfort and should not be restricted by any obligations that you try to impose on them. If you make a promise and do not fulfil it, they will lose their trust in you.

When dealing with this type of customers it is important to be sincere. If you  concentrate only on the purchase, then they will soon lose interest. It is important to be truly interested in their needs and in them as a person. The best approach here will be to make valid, tailored, personal recommendations for them to choose from.

If you know consumer typologies you may be more effective in your communications with your customers.

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Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/red-green-blue-which-one-you-anna-larina

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