(how your personality and fashion can create business success)
There are 2 main advantages of understanding personality profiles:
- Understanding how you work and think, and
- Understanding how others do so in ways that are different to you.
By understanding this you can figure out how to motivate yourself, as well as how to put your point (or sales) pitch across to others in a way that lands, so that you stand a better chance of doing business. There are numerous books written on the topic such as
- Work Diva by Kim Meredith
- You’ve Got Style by Robert A. Rohm and Julie Anne Cross
- Personality Plus by Florence Littauer and Rose Sweet
- L.O.V.E. by Drs Les & Leslie Parrott
- The Four Colour Personalities for MLM by Tom “Big Al” Schreiter
- Profit With Your Personality by Dr Lee Davenport
- Room Full Of Referrals by Dr Tony Alessandra and Dr Ivan Misner, to name but a few.
Basic Foundation
I’ll work on the basic definitions from DISC as well as the Temperaments. Other authors use different names to describe the same attributes
D = Dominant/Driver or Choleric
I= Inspiring/Influencer or Sanguine
S = Supportive/Steady or Phlegmatic
C = Cautious/Contentious or Melancholy
The Driver/Choleric is motivated by results. On a good day, they’re competitive, demanding, determined, strong-willed and purposeful. On a bad day, they’re more likely to be aggressive, domineering, intolerant, controlling or inflexible.
They are extroverted and task-oriented.
Fashion-wise they tend to look their best in Shades (which is a Hue with black added). Colours such as olive, mustard, burgundy, rust and brown. Words to describe these colours would include burnt (think about burnt orange). Denim should have gold or tan undertones. They look best in colours that are rich and dynamic. Neutrals would be brown or burgundy and metals would be rich/antique gold, bronze, copper or brass. Fabrics should feel substantial and strong on the body.
The Inspiring/Sanguine is motivated by fun. On a good day, they’re social, dynamic, demonstrative, enthusiastic and persuasive. On a bad day, they’re more likely to be excitable, frantic, indiscreet, flamboyant or hasty.
They are extroverted and people-oriented.
Fashion-wise they tend to look best in Tints (which is a Hue with white added. It can include pastels, but it’s not restricted to them). Colours such as mint, lilac, daffodil, orange, candy red, bubble-gum and cobalt. Words to describe these colours would include bright, crisp or pop. Denim should have a white undertone to it. They look best in colours that are bright and animated. Neutrals would be brown or blue and metals would be bright gold or rose gold. Fabrics should feel light and fresh on the body.
The Supportive/Phlegmatic is motivated by helping others. On a good day, they’re caring, encouraging, sharing, patient and relaxed. On a bad day, they’re more likely to be bland, plodding, reliant, stubborn or compliant.
They are introverted and people-oriented.
Fashion-wise they look best in Tones (which is a Hue with grey added). Colours such as sage, mauve, oyster, banana, berry, rosewood, periwinkle, slate, spruce, stone, pistachio, smoke, ash and fossil. Words to describe these colours would include muted or dusty (think dusty pink). Denim should have a grey undertone to it. They look best in colours that are subtle and soft. Neutrals would be grey or beige and metals would be greyed silver, brushed silver or pewter. Fabrics should feel comfortable on the body.
The Cautious/Melancholy is motivated by safety – they want to make the “right” decision. On a good day, they’re cautious, precise, deliberate, questioning and formal. On a bad day, they’re more likely to be stuffy, indecisive, suspicious, cold or reserved.
They are introverted and task-oriented.
Fashion-wise they look best in Hues (which is a pure jewel colour). Colours such as ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, fuchsia, magenta, lapis, azure, or citrine. Denim should have a pure/indigo undertone to it. Words to describe these colours would include clear or corporate. They look best in colours that are bold and striking. Neutrals would be black or navy and metals would be high shine silver. Fabrics should feel structured and fitted on the body.
How this affects you:
We all have strengths and weaknesses. The old way of thinking was that we should work to improve on our weaknesses, but nowadays we’ve realised that this idea is not only a waste of time, it feels like drudgery. By working on our strengths and outsourcing our weaknesses (to someone who has a strength in that area) both parties find themselves in a win-win scenario. So, for example, the extroverted sales person would do well to team up with an introverted support person to do the back-office admin work.
When setting goals, knowing your personality style can be crucial to setting goals that motivate you. If you set goals that you don’t connect with emotionally, where you can’t enjoy the PROCESS of attaining them, you’ll fail before you’ve even started. Goals should be a joy to accomplish. When we align our goals with our personalities and values, we feel energetic and happy every day. Let’s take exercise as an example:–
- If you’re a driver/choleric you’ll excel at sports that have a competitive angle to them (even if you’re competing against yourself for your next “personal best”).
- If you’re an inspiring/sanguine you’ll enjoy something fun, like playing with the kids in the pool, or roller-skating with the family, or dancing with your spouse.
- As a supportive/phlegmatic you may enjoy an exercise class with friends where you can connect and exercise at the same time.
- The cautious/melancholies might combine tasks, such as exercise with gardening (which ranges from meditative to exhausting).
When pitching your business to someone, if you can figure out their personality and pitch according to their personality style, you stand a better chance of success.
- If your prospect is driver/choleric, get to the point (they will ask if/where they want more detail)
- If your prospect is inspiring/sanguine, highlight the fun (or the fun they can have with the time you’ve saved them)
- If your prospect is supportive/phlegmatic, show them how your product or service helps them and/or others
- If your prospect is cautious/melancholy, explain how much detail you have available and ask them where they’d want you to start explaining.
There are 2 main points to remember:
Firstly, we all have all 4 personality styles (in differing ratios) – I’ve only addressed these from a primary personality perspective. If you think that nice, sweet, little old lady can’t be tough… try attack her grandkids – and you’ll find there’s a side to her you didn’t wanna meet. It may not be her default personality, but it will surface if the situation calls for it.
Secondly, none of these are right or wrong – it’s just a way of simplifying how we interact with people and with information. I’ve long been thinking that life would be that much smoother if the messages we sent were received in the way we intended them. It’s up to us to hone our communication skills to improve ourselves and our lives.
Ever wondered why in the military they have the phrase “message received and understood”? The power is in our hands to rework our message until it is received and understood the way we intended – which includes delivering it in the most efficient way for our target audience.
Originally posted 2022-11-20 07:57:18.