People Play to Their Labels
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Written by Melanie Kissell on Feb 25, 2009 7:23 pm
Read More: Prospecting | Sponsoring and RecruitingWhen you're talking to prospects, do you find yourself, first and foremost, trying to figure out what personality color they are?
Do you ever discount or dismiss someone as a potential business partner or customer because of the color you have assigned them?
Many universities, psychologists, and employers conduct personality tests. After learning about the four personality colors, I did some further research and uncovered another four! You may want to add the following to your color palette:
BROWN: Warm; deep thinkers; sensitive to the needs and desires of others
GRAY: Procrastinators; indecisive; lives filled with gray-zone territories
BLACK: Extremely moody; perform at their peak when under stress and unhappy
PURPLE: Overly sophisticated; business-like; concerned with personal fulfillment
People play to their labels.
Both the terms "projection" and "labeling" start with VALUABLE observations yet, when pushed too far, they become negatives.
If you arbitrarily labeled people in Group A as "industrious" and people in Group B as "lazy", you are apt to find the people in Group A behaving industriously, and Group B behaving lazily.
The color personality labels we attach to people can create a bias, a prejudice, and affect their behavior ... and OUR behavior in working with prospects and team members.
Understanding the derogatory possibilities of labeling someone Yellow, Blue, Green, or Red can improve your ability to communicate and perform better as a professional network marketer. Pigeon-holing or projecting a specific color onto someone will cloud your perspective and may cause you to lose sight of your objective.
In my view, our minds work by attaching words and phrases to the things around us. We have words for important things like people, places, and events. We form ideas about these different things, and then spend much of our lives making "judgments" based on this mental model we create of the world. Maybe it's time to stop making narrow, boxed-in judgments. It's true you can't tell a book by its cover!
I have heard of people using their personality color as a CRUTCH. This is NOT the intended use of the personality color. It is not there for you to use it to attempt to explain away improper behavior. I have personally witnessed this time and time again.
For example, you may be the very essence of a Green (logical, loner, independent), but this does not give you the right to be rude to anyone.
Just because you are a Red (decisive, impulsive, risky), you don’t have the right to roll over everyone else in a group and not allow others to share their ideas because you spoke up first. Reds must learn to curb their impulse to control a group and wait for others to contribute.
Let's experiment for a moment with personality colors. Picture this ...
I'm your prospect and I've accepted an invitation to attend your business opportunity meeting.
I arrive 10 minutes early. I'm not wearing a smile, but I'm wearing dress pumps, a stylish, beautifully-tailored black suit and a red blouse. The only piece of jewelry I'm wearing is a watch. I choose not to mingle with the other early attendees. Instead, I scan over the seating arrangement and sit down in the front row. I've brought along two pens (in case one runs out of ink), and a small, spiral-bound notebook. I plan on taking copious notes even though I've been informed that I'll be provided with brochures, a DVD, and other handouts. I thoroughly enjoy the meeting and ask several questions during the presentation. I make a new friend in the delightful person sitting next to me. We exchange contact information and plan to talk again soon.
Can you guess what personality color I am?
Most importantly, will pinning a color on me help you to genuinely grow your business?
Melanie
206-202-3595
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About the Author: Melanie Kissell
Member Since: 10/10/2007
Company: Perinatal Services
Industry: Health Care
Primary Web Site: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/mkissell
Watch not to led shortcuts become short comings
You make excellent points Melanie. None of us is totally one colour all the time in every situation. I can be basically a blue, but when hungry get quite red, and if suspicious can be very green (looking for details).
What yur little scenario tells me is that this person is keen, interested and not prepared to waste her time....and probably not yours either. I am a person who learns best, when making notes.....regardless of what is going to be given to me.
Great contribution Melanie.
Thanks
Rachel Cormier
Mission BC Canada
Thank You, Rachel
Rachel,
I sincerely appreciate your feedback. Thanks for stopping by, reading my post, and taking time away from your busy day to leave a comment.
We are all a combination of colors. You get "Red" when you're hungry (and so do a lot of other people!) and I get Red when my teen-aged twins can't get out the door to school on time!
To Your Success,
~Melanie
One more thought, Rachel ...
All we really need to do when talking to prospects is to be good "listeners". That's it. It's that simple.
We don't need to spend one minute of time trying to figure out what personality color they are. It doesn't matter. What does matter is finding out if your prospect has needs that you can fulfill.
When speaking to a prospect, I ask myself just one question ... "Does my prospect have problems that my products and/or business opportunity can solve?"
It may be interesting to learn about the colors, but the information is not valuable in building a network marketing business.
~Melanie
You know it's funny, Melanie
I took some of the colors training in the past and find that my best conversations with people have been when I am just being myself and not analyzing them. Takes me out of the conversation and away from listening to them.
Thanks,
RICK
Hi Melinae
For me the colors training is not about labeling people. It is about getting to know the thoughts and desires of each dominate color to better help me in my venture to talk to more people. I do not catigorize or label anyone as a bad prospect because of there color.It just helps me know a little about what goes on in the mind of people I need to talk to.This is a great subject for discussion and an excellent post.
Ivan
Ditto, Kiddo!
I feel the same way, Rick. I had some colors technology training some time ago. It was certainly interesting and I'm the kind of person that loves to learn new things, but the training has not proven to be of value to me in building my business. It just doesn't factor in for me at all. I pride myself in having really good interpersonal skills, one of which is "listening". So I'm like you. I don't do any analyzing at all. I just listen to what my prospects have to say. And it works!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts,
~Melanie
A Question for You, Ivan ...
Ivan,
Let's say I'm a "Yellow". Are my thoughts and desires any different than a "Green"? Are my hopes and dreams and wishes far removed from a "Blue"?
There's one thing I know for sure. I bleed the exact same color as everyone else ... Red!
I'm so glad you said this is a great subject for discussion and an excellent post. That tells me that your wheels are spinning.
Expand your horizons outside the stringent parameters of your current indoctrination, Ivan, and you'll discover a whole new array of colors!
You are appreciated,
~Melanie
Reply to your question
Melanie,
You are quite correct reds blues yellows and greens all have the same hopes and dreams and we all bleed red.BUT if you are a yellow you would Never close a prospect. The difference is the way our dominate color controls our mind.Some of us are caring and nurturing and some are not.Some of us are hard sellers and some are not. Some of us try to get things perfect, go over all the details and some of us jump right in.It does not mean one person is less or more than the other.I do not like a yellow more than a red or a green more than a blue. Colors training is only a tool for me.Thank you for the interaction,your opinions are valued greatly.
Ivan
COLOUR ANALYSIS
Interesting comments everyone. I know you are right, no one likes to be 'analyzed' when having a conversation. Thats what shrinks are for LOL.
I spent a fun evening with Big Al Shroeder(?) last night and he was talking about how decisions are made whether or not to join someone in a business.
His whole presentation is that those decisions are made within seconds and by the subconscious mind. He said that our conscious minds are like a little pea being directed and controlled by the enormous unconscious who stores all that we ever learned to survive.
That a VERY abreviated version of his message. He took 3 laughing hours to deliver it.
Anyway - the colour thing is not an absolute and certainly most of us are not all one colour - all the time. (Notice how we spell color up here eh?)
I have been told I 'present' as a blue, but my whole life's direction is and has been about caring for others, people and animals; certainly a yellow. But when I am navigating the complex highway around Seattle, I am very green (looking for the right exit that will take me where I want to go) and let me tell you, when the bills come in, I get very Red!!
So think of us all as beautiful shades of the rainbow that the Lord loves.
PS - Just had to get another shot at this very interestinig topic.
Enjoy your day
Rachel Cormier
Mission BC Canada
Tools Are Good
Every network marketer needs to have a toolbox, Ivan. My toolbox contains a unified training system - all the plug 'n' play business building tools I need.
Just to set the record straight, I am not a "Closer". Not my style. May be hard to believe or understand, but my prospects close themselves. That's a lot easier and comfortable for me.
Write On!
MELANIE
Hey Rachel
Nice to know that you are an open-minded gal!
Your mindset will serve you well.
MELANIE
One colorful gal, Rachel
So, not only can you be a variety of colors but you've got to catch you at the right time! (I laughed and cried when you turned red. I know the feeling.) Fun stuff.
Rather, let's talk about what it takes to build a network marketing business. Listening to people, being with them, learning what they desire and sharing how they can attain it.
Thank you two ladies for a colorful and enlightening discussion.
RICK
Melanie
I am sorry if there was a misunderstanding. I never meant to insinuate that you were a "closer" .I was just stating my belief about the training.That is what makes a social site so great. You get vast input from a diversified group of people. Life is good
Your Friend
Ivan
Hi Ivan
You are a very sensitive, caring man. I had to go back and reread what you wrote to find out if you truly had insulted anyone. You didn't sir - no need to apologize. You were just stating an opinion and that is great !
Joyce Penner
www.joycepenner.com
Thank you
For your kind words. You are truly a splendid woman with remarkable incites.
Your Friend
Ivan.
You bet!
Life is good, Ivan!
Melanie
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