[E33] Behavior Week: Analyst Part II – Buying Preferences, Sales Style

In this episode I continue the exploration of the Analyst personality/behavior group.

Previously I covered their fears, preferences, confrontational style, and empathy mode.

Now we get into how the Analyst likes to buy and what will turn them off.

I will also cover how the Analyst salesperson will approach prospects, and what works and what doesn’t.

Episode 33 – Transcript

On this episode I talk about selling to the analytical type prospects and why it may be the hardest group to sell to.

Welcome to episode 33 of The Sales Experience Podcast. This is the second half of the discussion about Analysts, or as the DISC profile calls them, Conscientiousness.  If there is one group that I know really well, it’s the Analysts. Both from living a long time as a pure analyst, getting stuck in analysis paralysis, and then observing other Analysts.

In the last episode I gave an overview of the Analyst, their biggest fears, their comfort level with confrontation and how they empathize with others. If you haven’t listened to it, check it out after you go through this one.

Before I get into how Analysts like to buy, I want to just remind you that if you are Analyst, my goal is to help you understand some of your autopilot tendencies better. Not that any of this is right or wrong, good or bad. You are who you are, and that is amazing. And…if there are parts of your life that are slowing you down from your goals then there might be areas to focus your efforts on improving, starting with your strengths while at the same time not beating yourself up so much on the ways that you react to the world. If you don’t enjoy spontaneous, crazy adventures then don’t compare yourself to others and feel bad internally that you don’t want to go on a month long backpacking trip through Europe with no plan except to wander around and see what happens.

My point with these episodes is partly self-awareness – to help you, the listener, the sales person, the sales manager understand maybe a new aspect of your behavior. Once you are aware you can then make choices instead of being on pure autopilot. The other point to this series is so that you have some basic awareness of the traits that will occur in other people – like your prospects, or your significant other, or your parents – and then how those could affect your relationship. For example, if you are in a relationship with an Analyst, and you constantly want them to just get up and hop in the car with you with no destination in mind, just to get on the highway and see where you end up – that will be mentally stressful for them. If they resist, its nothing personal against you, they are just reacting to that situation.

Anyway, back to the episode. First let’s cover how an Analyst likes to buy. There are two key factors to always remember if your prospect is an Analyst. The first is fear of being wrong, looking stupid, or making a mistake. This is why they always want the data. They want stats, measurements, metrics. They want to do as much research as it takes to feel like buying from you is the right choice. They want testimonials to hear about other people like them who bought and benefited. They need as much evidence as it takes.

The problem is that with too much research will trigger what is called Analysis Paralysis, which is the endless research and pursuit for the perfect answer. They are looking for the perfect situation where there is zero chance of failure and one hundred percent chance of success. Usually that is not attainable, so they will research forever and never buy or make a decision.

The biggest mistake you can make as a sales person who has an Analyst for a prospect is to give int all their requests for data and research. Might seem like you are doing the right thing. They keep asking you for more data, more stats, more spreadsheets, more links, more articles, more everything. You keep giving it to them because you feel at some point they will see enough proof and make the buying decision. But you are just helping them dig a bigger analytical hole for your deal to die in. You want to give them enough to satisfy them, but then also push them a little to make a decision.

But not too much – because remember their other thing they don’t like is confrontation. If you go to hard at them, too high pressure, it will cause them to shut down. Also, since Analysts are looking for proof, they like data and do not like always like slick talking, high pressure sales people. They might just see that as a cover up for how the product or service isn’t actually a good choice. If they think the sales person is out for their own benefit only, the Analyst wont buy at the risk of making a mistake if they gave into the sales pressure.

Now, the last part to cover for Analysts is what if you the sales person or someone on your team is an Analyst, what would that look like? First off, you are going to hesitate getting on calls or going to meetings because you will want to do more research to learn more so that you can be perfectly prepared for everyone scenario and conversation. Which of course is not possible. I have seen a lot of analyst sales reps do very little and ultimately not make it because they are stuck in the research and fear stage. The other way you will show up as a rep is you will try and give each prospect the data – the numbers, the stats, lots of facts and figures. You may even offer to send each one a special data sheet you made up, or links for sites for them to research. In your mind that is what you would want as a consumer, so you just assume that is what everyone wants.

If you do that and your prospect is an Analyst, you will just bury them in analysis paralysis. If they are not an Analyst, then it could actually overwhelm them and kill the deal. Promoters, which we will cover next, don’t like spreadsheets, stats, data – that is not how they make their buying decisions generally.

Okay, that’s all the time I have today for Analysts. Again, there is so much more to cover for these four personality and behavior styles that I am only covering the biggest areas I can. Make sure to subscribe wherever you are downloading episodes from so you can get the latest episodes each day. Tomorrow we start talking about the party people.

And until next time, always remember that everything in life is sales and people will remember the experience you gave them.