If you’re in sales and marketing, you’ve probably gone through a hundred training manuals, been forced to chug down tons of information, and know by heart each and every CRM software that ever walked this earth. It’s been drummed into us that concrete data is the key to a successful sales campaign, and anything that can’t be measured has no place in the marketing and sales domain. Big data is good because you can manipulate it to come up with great programs that anticipate buyer behavior. But what about psychological behavior? This is what we’re going to examine in this post, in the hopes of creating an understanding of how people buy, and the different buyer personality types of which you should be aware.

Emotions Rule Sales
Like it or not, people are ruled by their emotions. This irrational animal dominates our thought processes, and influences our buying choices. It’s not something that can be quantified, so it’s been tucked away in a neat corner in a box labeled ‘do not touch’ by the institutions that come up with sales strategies. The truth is, we all want to feel like we matter and that we’re special, and we all buy emotionally and then justify rationally. Why is the human brain wired to work in this way? One word: dopamine. We just want to feel good. Whether it’s biting into that bar of chocolate and bathing our brains in dopamine, or experiencing that rush of exhilaration you can only get from driving a brand new BMW, we’re all chasing the high that comes from firing our limbic brain sensors. Once you understand this, the customer becomes putty in your hands.

People Think in Terms of People
The human brain reacts to sensory signals produced be other people, and is easily influenced by this. You can’t expect data to excite a buyer, no matter how attractively categorized it is. This is the main premise behind testimonials. People are more likely to buy from you if they find credible information from others or yourself that the product you’re selling is a hit across the board.

Buyer Personalities: An Overview

The Analytical Critic
This buyer has done his research, and has his salvos ready. If you ever hesitate in an answer to his question, he’ll make up his mind not to buy before you ever get around to your answer. He needs tons of information on your product, and you should be ready to give it to him. Also, match his seriousness in order to win him over. You might think that this is the kind that wouldn’t buy anything, but the key here is patience.

The Supporter
This buyer is a joy to talk to, and will try to empathize with you. She wants to make a connection and build a strong buyer-seller relationship. This buyer is largely influenced by emotions and the good feelings associated with buying from you, so try your best to make that connection, and give her your full undivided attention.

The Controller
This type will come charging in, and will be the type to initiate the buying process. He knows exactly what he wants and isn’t afraid to ask for it. Don’t bother with small talk; get straight to the point with this one.

The Promoter
This buyer is an enthusiastic bubble of sunshine. She’s already heard of your product, and speaks it praises unhesitatingly. She’s always on the edge of buying. However, what you need to understand about this type is that she repeats this ritual with every sales professional that comes her way. The key with promoters is getting them centered long enough to influence them to make a purchase.

Your selling best practices should always include a psychological angle, and your should customize each interaction for the target customer. Your pre-call research comes in handy in understanding these personalities. Social selling is largely influenced by psychology, and the
phenomenon of social listening will enable you pick out the different personality types so you can come up with a killer sales strategy before you ever have a conversation with your prospect.

References: http://trustedadvisor.com/articles/why-your-sales-process-matters-less-than-the-psychology-of-selling http://3brainmarketing.com/index.php/2011/03/21/the-psychology-of-selling/

This article originally appeared on InsideView’s Sales Intelligence | B2B Sales Productivity and has been republished with permission.

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