If you’re looking for help getting your professional life on track, get a copy here. It also makes a great gift for high school or college graduates!

In my interview with the Baroness, find out why she feels so strongly about increasing the number of women in corporate boardrooms, what she’s doing to raise awareness for gender equality and women’s rights, and her advice on how others can support these efforts.

Q1: How did you get involved in promoting women’s rights and why do you feel so strongly about this issue?

Baroness: I have always been very passionate about the importance of promoting women’s rights, especially their economic and political rights. This is particularly important because women are 50% of the world’s population and have so much to contribute. I first started promoting women’s rights globally after working with strong, active female leaders in Northern Ireland, including Avila Kilmurray, Baroness May Blood, Mary Black, Ambassador Melanne Verveer and Ellen Bennett. This experience really highlighted the power women have and how important their involvement is in advocating for women’s rights.

Q2: You are a global advocate for women and this involves promoting gender equity through the G8 and G20. What do you think are the most important steps both the G8 and G20 can make to improve the lives of women and children around the globe?

Baroness: There are a number of key areas where the G8 and G20 can positively impact the lives of women and children around the world. Providing access to finance for women and providing education on finance for girls and boys is one of the most integral steps in improving lives. All children should have the right to an education and, globally, we need to ensure children can seek education without the fear of persecution.

I also feel very strongly that more needs to be done to combat the multi-billion dollar trade of human beings. This is also very closely linked to developing more robust campaigns to end child marriage worldwide. Finally, women need to have a voice at all levels of global decision-making, and at the center of this is ensuring women have a place at every table – especially at the peace table.

Q3: In 2010, you founded the 30% Club with Helena Morrissey, CEO of Newton Investment Management, with the aim of increasing the number of women on UK boards to 30% by 2015. Why did you feel this was a necessary campaign?

Baroness: The 30% Club is a group of Chairmen and organizations committed to bringing more women onto company boards because we believe it is good for the overall effectiveness of the boardroom and therefore good for business. This is a vital campaign because it is not a women’s issue, it is a business issue.

While we believe women have much to contribute in boardrooms and that they should be sitting at the table alongside men, the 30% Club believes mandated quotas are harmful to the ongoing gender debate. Through our campaign, we are promoting voluntary change amongst companies.

Q4: Why do you believe companies benefit from increasing the number of female executives in company boardrooms?

Baroness: There are many powerful arguments for having gender-varied boards. One reason is that companies with varied boards deter themselves from the danger of ‘groupthink.’ Having women on boards can also improve decision-making processes, ensure talent is functioning optimally, and help businesses redefine corporate social responsibilities (CSR) policies. Some CSR policies include projects associated with education, food security and human trafficking policies – issues that women are often more pro-active in pursuing.

Q5: You are on the board of the Vital Voices Global Partnership. How does Vital Voices work to empower women and what changes have you seen through your role?

Baroness: Vital Voices identifies, invests in and brings visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities. I have seen Vital Voices train women in business development and entrepreneurial management to expand their enterprises, provide for their families and create economic opportunities in their communities. Vital Voices is also at the forefront of international coalitions to combat human trafficking and all forms of violence against women and girls.

Q6: When all the efforts to achieve equal rights for women become a global success, what kind of world do you envision?

Baroness: I envisage a world that is strengthened by diversity, a world that is fair and has equal pay, where there is no child labor or child marriages, and where the GDP of communities would be doubled.

Q7: If readers would like to get involved in promoting a more equitable world, what do you recommend them doing?

Baroness: I encourage readers to get involved in campaigning, join an organization, lobby politicians, even post messages on Facebook and Twitter – social media is an important campaigning tool. Most importantly – I encourage everyone to speak up and promote equality!

Baroness Goudie shares her perspectives on her blog and can be followed on Twitter.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photo Credit: Photos courtesy of Baroness Mary Goudie

Jim Rohn, an American author, once said, “To solve any problem, there are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?” These are excellent questions to consider, but for more complex problems, I like to follow what’s known as the rational decision-making model.

The rational decision-making model has been around for countless years in the scientific community and within the study of organizational behavior. It’s the process I’ve used throughout my career because it follows a very logical step-by-step approach that makes it easy for me to explain how I reached my recommendation.

Problem-solving steps:

Step 1 – Identify the problem. This is where you explain the problem situation. Keep asking “Why?” to continue diving deeper to discover the root cause of the problem.

Step 2 – Determine solution criteria. Define the goals and objectives the solution must satisfy. These might include staying within a certain cost level or time frame.

Step 3 – Generate potential solutions. Brainstorm all possible solutions. Depending on the complexity of the problem, it may be important to include subject matter experts in this step.

Step 4 – Analyze each potential solution. Analyze each potential solution against the criteria (goals and objectives). Which solution makes the most sense based on your constraints such as budget, personnel resources and time? I sometimes create a table that lists each solution and each criterion with check marks or brief comments to rate each solution against all the various criteria.

Step 5 – Select the best solution. Based on your evaluation, choose the best solution and why it makes the most sense.

Step 6 – Determine an implementation plan. Determine how the recommended solution could be implemented and tracked for success. This is the “who, when, where and how” description. If possible, include cost and time estimates.

Step 7 – Document the information. Include the information from steps one through six in a one-page document (absolutely no more than two pages!). Keeping your document short will force you to carefully think through the situation and get right to the point.

Step 8 – Meet with your boss. Most managers are short on time, so putting your information into a concise document makes it easier when you meet to discuss your ideas.

Going through this process isn’t always easy, but by following this model, the process will become ingrained in your brain and, over time, you’ll be able to think through these steps quickly and easily.

Next time, don’t bring a problem to your manager, use the rational decision-making model and bring the solution instead. Then watch your value as an employee increase.

~ Lisa Quast

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“But I just want to hire a résumé writer. Can’t you just re-write my résumé for me?”

Thus ended my conversation with a woman who had called to inquire about hiring me as a career coach. She didn’t like the answer I gave her, which was, “No.”

Sometimes in our careers, as in life, taking on challenging tasks can lead to personal growth and learning. My potential client didn’t see it that way – she wanted me to do everything for her. Here’s the conversation (condensed) that led us down that discussion path… 

Jane (name changed): “I want to hire you as my career coach.”

Me: “Let’s first talk about the type of career help you’re seeking.”

Jane: “I just need you to re-write my résumé. I don’t like my job so I want to find another position in a different industry. I haven’t updated it since I got this job about 10 years ago.”

Me: “Tell me why your job is making you unhappy, and, what type of job would you like to have?”

Jane: “What do you mean?”

Me: “What jobs have you looked at and what are the areas in the job descriptions that interest you?”

Jane: “I haven’t been researching any jobs. And why should I look at job descriptions? I just want to update my résumé.”

Me: “Generally, the best way to update a résumé is to customize it to the position for which you’re applying. Doing this requires analyzing the job description and requirements and then tailoring your résumé to showcase your skills and accomplishments most relevant to the job requirements.”

Jane: “Can’t you just figure that out for me? I don’t have time to think about that stuff myself. My life is one tornado after another and I don’t have any time for myself as it is.”

Me: “Sounds like you must work a lot of hours or have quite a few family activities going on.”

Jane: “Um, not really. I can only work 40 hours a week because they hate paying us overtime. And I’m single and none of my family lives in the area.”

(Jumping to the end of our discussion…)

Me: “Let me see if I understand what you’re saying. You no longer enjoy your current job or industry. You don’t know what you’d like to do next, and, you don’t want explore this yourself. You don’t have the time or interest in looking at posted positions to determine which jobs are of interest. You want to hire someone to re-write your résumé without actually having to be involved in the process yourself.”

Jane: “Exactly! Now you understand.”

Me: “Unfortunately, that’s not how I conduct my career coaching practice. I cannot re-write your résumé without your participation. Updating your résumé means we spend time analyzing your skills, experience, education and abilities. It requires uncovering your strengths and weaknesses as well as looking at potential industries and jobs of interest to you. It includes analyzing the job descriptions for which you’d like to apply and targeting your résumé to the requirements of those positions. I can guide you and assist you throughout this process, but it requires your active participation.”

Our discussion ended after I turned “Jane” down as a client. No matter what I said, she could not understand why she needed to participate for the process to be effective – and she wasn’t the first person I’ve encountered with this attitude.

For anyone who wants to hire a “résumé writer” – I offer the following thoughts:

• Writing or re-writing your résumé can be a challenge, but life is about challenges and about learning from them. It is through challenges that we grow the most.
• You may believe you have little to no time in your life for career development activities, but consider the karmic idea that forcing yourself to carve out “me time” is how you’ll be able to overcome any swirling chaos around you.
• Before trying to write or re-write your résumé, take the time to define your career aspirations and to look at industries and jobs of interest. Also, consider your strengths and weaknesses and how you match up against the job requirements.

Your career requires your active participation and you need to be the captain of your own ship. Do not hand off your career development responsibilities to someone else. Seek others for guidance, not for ownership.

~ Lisa Quast

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While we were lifting weights at the gym one day, a friend of mine told me about her frustrations with her manager. She had the same job for five years and referred to her boss as “a living nightmare.” Some of her complaints were: He didn’t hold staff meetings; he hardly ever met with subordinates to discuss their projects, assign new projects or offer any advice; and he rarely provided performance appraisals (they weren’t company mandated).

“I want to move up in my career, but I feel like I don’t get any direction or support from my manager,” she said. I told her it sounded like she needed to figure out how to manage her boss. She raised one eyebrow and said, “Riiiiiiiiiight,” but listened to my advice.

I’ve had some pretty horrible managers during my career and I learned the key was to proactively manage my boss. Managing up is about earning the trust and respect of your boss by working together with that person to create the best possible working relationship. Here’s how you can do this:

Understand your manager’s goals. Find out his/her objectives and priorities. What keeps your boss up at night? Think about ways you can help achieve these department goals.

Agree on your goals, objectives and projects – then provide regular updates. Meet with your manager to ensure you fully understand and mutually agree upon your goals and objectives for the year as well as all projects for which you’ll be responsible. Then, track and provide progress updates, asking for help or advice as needed.

Learn your manager’s communication style and flex your style to his/hers. How does your manager prefer to interact? Do they want weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly updates? Do they prefer written reports with lots of details or brief summaries with only highlights? Does he/she want to meet in person or receive email updates and then follow-up with you on any questions they might have? Adapt your communication style to best fit your manager’s.

Help your manager be successful. If they are successful, you will be more successful. Don’t be seen as a threat to your manager. Actions that can be perceived as threatening include: Bad-mouthing your boss or others in the department, going around your manager or above them to resolve issues and criticizing department processes or policies (instead of making legitimate suggestions for improvement and volunteering for the improvement efforts).

My friend took my comments to heart and changed the way she was working with her boss. Her life at work improved and she finally felt like she was making a real difference. About nine months later, when her company downsized, several employees within her department were let go, but my friend was not. She believes she kept her job because of the strong working relationship she had established with her boss and because management understood the value she provided.

It can sometimes feel like the end of the world when you’re stuck with a terrible manager, but don’t let a bad boss hold you back from achieving your career aspirations. Proactively establish a mutually beneficial relationship with your boss by managing up. Incorporate your efforts into your normal work routine and you, your manager and the company will all benefit.

~ Lisa Quast

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Developing a personal brand is similar to product branding. The overall goal with branding is to differentiate yourself (the product) in the market so you can attain your objectives, be those landing your dream job or becoming a famous singer. The process includes defining your brand and brand attributes, positioning your brand in a different way than your competitors and then managing all aspects of your personal brand.

The biggest issue I see when it comes to personal branding is a lack of adequate research and strategizing. There’s an old saying, “Ready, aim, fire,” but when it comes to personal branding, I see many working backwards with “Fire, ready, aim.” People tend to get so excited that they forget to do their homework before taking action. To avoid mis-steps, take the time to work through these six steps first.

PERSONAL BRANDING 101

Step 1: Define your overall aspirations. Be specific and clearly define your goals and objectives. Is it to become known as the best project manager in a certain industry? Obtain the job of Creative Director at a large advertising agency? Become VP of Marketing?

Step 2: Conduct research. How are those who have made it to where you want to be conducting their personal branding efforts? What can you learn from what others are doing, be their efforts good or bad? Who are your biggest competitors and what are they doing to brand themselves?

Step 3: Determine your brand attributes. What do you want your personal brand to convey? What adjectives do you want people to associate with you (as the product) and why? In what niche of the market do you want to become known?

Step 4: Assess your current state. How do people currently perceive you? How large is the gap between the current you and the person you want others to perceive you to be? What needs to change and why?

Step 5: Create your game plan. Your game plan should include more than just branding yourself in social media – it needs to include all aspects of you, as a product. Defining your plan needs to include the tangible and intangible characteristics of personal branding including attire, hair, makeup, behavior, verbal and non-verbal communication.

Your game plan also needs to include the specific social media aspects you’ll use to convey your new personal brand (such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.) and how you will use each of those aspects to build your brand.

Step 6: Manage your brand. Proactively manage all aspects of your brand, ensuring these aspects are in sync and that they continue to reinforce your brand attributes and market niche.

For example, your LinkedIn picture should look similar to the in-person you, your Tweets and any social media posts should stay within your market niche and your in-person behavior should be representative of how you want others to perceive you. And if you’ve branded yourself in social media as a creative fashion diva, then make sure that extends to how you come across in person (attire, hair, makeup, etc.).

Don’t create a mismatched brand by conveying different or competing attributes in various social media outlets, such as tweeting negative opinions about gowns worn at the Oscars and posting comments on LinkedIn about your vacation when you’re trying to brand yourself as a savvy cross-functional project team leader. Doing so will create audience confusion about who you are and what you do.

~ Lisa Quast

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But this exercise isn’t just for businesses. It can be helpful for job seekers and those who are looking to climb the career ladder, too.

Here’s how the process works… 

After you’ve defined your career aspirations and goals (see my previous blog on how to do this), the next step is to understand more about yourself and your external environment. This is where the S.W.O.T. analysis is helpful. It stands for:

• S = Strengths (internal)
• W = Weaknesses (internal)
• O = Opportunities (external)
• T = Threats (external)

This process captures information about your internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats. Key to completing your S.W.O.T. analysis is to treat your career as a business and yourself as a competitive product.

Strengths

To help you understand your strengths, picture yourself as a competitive product in the marketplace. A personal strength is an asset to you as a product and can be used as a way to differentiate yourself from others when interviewing or trying to obtain your next promotion. Examples of strengths: Strong project management skills, ability to improve or reengineer processes, experience and training in presenting to large audiences, proven successful sales abilities.

Weaknesses

A personal weakness is a liability or an area of opportunity for growth. These are characteristics you could improve upon to increase future job opportunities. Examples: Disorganized, uncomfortable speaking in front of groups, tendency to procrastinate, poor listener.

Opportunities & Threats

When thinking about your opportunities and threats, I always find it easier to begin with the “threats.” Try comparing yourself to people you’ll likely compete against for that next job or promotion. Then, as objectively as possible, judge your threats and determine possible ways to overcome them. Here are some examples:

• Threat: Other candidates have college degrees
• Opportunity: Go to night school and finish my bachelor’s degree

• Threat: Colleague X is much better at presenting in front of groups
• Opportunity: Take a speech class or join a program (such as Toastmasters); seek out opportunities to present in front of audiences

The purpose of the personal S.W.O.T. analysis is to identify actions you can take to best meet the requirements of the job or promotion you are seeking. Comparing your strengths and weaknesses to the job requirements will identify gaps and help you prepare to be the best candidate for the position to which you aspire.

Throughout my career, I’ve used this S.W.O.T. analysis every time I’m applying and interviewing for a new job. Going through this exercise helps me ensure I’m prepared for the interview and gets me ready to answer tough questions from interviewers (such as, “Describe your biggest weakness”). Following this process also allows me to anticipate areas that could be potential issues during the interview.

So if you need a little boost in your job search or to obtain that coveted promotion, try using the personal SWOT analysis exercise to sharpen your strengths, improve your weaknesses, identify opportunities for development and neutralize or overcome your threats.

~ Lisa Quast

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If you don’t know where you want to go, how will you determine how to get there? In nearly any company when I ask male employees what they want to be doing in five or ten years, they almost always have a ready answer. Women generally do not.

The women I question answer along the lines of, “Oh, I’m not really sure. I like what I’m doing now, but I definitely want to get promoted,” or “I’m sure if I do my job well, my boss will notice and eventually promote me.” Maybe, but maybe not.

The popular notion that you graduate from college, join a company, go with the flow and hope that someone, some day, recognizes your skills and potential is false. No one is going to pluck you from the masses and help you rise to business stardom unless you make the first move.

One of the keys to achieving career success is to clearly define your aspirations. Begin by taking time to sit in a quiet location and answer these questions:

• What were my original childhood career hopes and dreams?
• What are the things that are important to me in life?
• What am I good at accomplishing at work?
• What are the work things I don’t enjoy?
• Three to five years from now, what would I like to be doing? What could I envision myself doing? What would I like to have achieved?
• How would I describe my perfect job?

It’s OK if you can’t decide on a specific career aspiration right now. If you are new to your position, you could aspire to become a sought-out expert in your new job or simply to determine the position you want in the future.

Once you’ve written down your career aspirations, the next step is to identify your goals. Your goals are the stepping-stones you will use to reach your desired destination. Keep in mind that the quality of the goals you set will determine their effectiveness.

One technique I like to use when creating goals is the age-old S.M.A.R.T. technique, which stands for:

• S = Specific. Goals need to be explicit and detailed
• M = Measurable. Your goals should have a specific outcome against which you can measure your progress
• A = Attainable. Goals must allow you to stretch yourself, but still be reasonable
• R = Relevant. Each goal must have meaning for you
• T = Time-bound. Goals must clearly define a beginning and an ending

Countless businesses and individuals throughout the world use this technique. While over the years many variations have been created, S.M.A.R.T. continues to embody sound principles for the process of creating goals.

Here is an example of a poorly defined goal and then that same goal translated using the S.M.A.R.T. technique:

• Poorly defined goal: I will work to improve myself in business.
• S.M.A.R.T. goal: I will identify one area of weakness and, during the next six months, complete one class and read at least two books to improve my expertise in that business topic.

If you use the above example aspiration of determining which position you’d like to have in the future, your S.M.A.R.T. goal could be defining the steps you will take to determine your specific aspirations, such as researching various career options or completing some personality or work style evaluations.

Like using a roadmap to arrive at a destination, having a clear list of goals will help ensure you’re headed in the right direction and end at the desired location (your aspiration) using the most direct route.

~ Lisa Quast

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With a hit-the-ground-running mentality, coupled with a series of informal focus groups and formative meetings with top designers and retailers, Rent the Runway was born. Now, founders Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss have turned their company into a one-stop shop (they sell accessories and undergarments, too!) where fashion-obsessed women can find the perfect designer look for any special occasion without the anxiety of investing in piece after piece.

Check out my interview, where they offer the inside scoop on starting their own company, advice for budding entrepreneurs, fashion advice and more!

Q: I understand you two met at Harvard Business School. Can you tell us a little more about how you created your concept for Rent the Runway and how you launched it?

JH: Jenny and I would have regular lunch meetings when we were section mates at Harvard Business School to bounce fun entrepreneurial ideas off of one another. I brought the idea behind Rent the Runway to one of our lunches after witnessing my sister claim that she had nothing to wear to an upcoming wedding despite her overflowing closet full of dresses. The idea was not only to provide women with access to designer dresses for all of their special occasions but more importantly, to promote self-confidence and deliver Cinderella moments to women everywhere.

JF: Neither Jenn nor I had any background in the fashion space. Some might consider this a hindrance but I think it enabled us to have a fresh perspective and the gumption necessary to tackle something that had we known better, would have probably seemed unachievable. After all, Rent the Runway takes the principals of high-end designer fashion and flips them on their head by, among other things, marketing generally inaccessible designer fashion to the masses and featuring real women as models. These practices would likely make anyone with a fashion background a bit nervous.

Q: In developing your idea, how did you ensure it was going to be successful? At the beginning, what were your concerns and the hurdles you had to overcome?

JH: Because we were at the forefront of the rental economy, it took a bit of time for some people to warm up to the idea of this new consumer behavior. After all, renting did not previously have a place within the fashion industry. Therefore, as with any other type of industry disruption, it did come along with its hurdles.

JF: The key from the beginning was not being married to one approach but rather being open to testing different iterations of the general concept. We held trial trunk shows on college campuses, met with everyone we could talk to in order to gather feedback and suggestions, and adapted along the way. Listening is hugely important when innovating and entering a new industry. If we had not been flexible around how we would carry out our concept, I don’t think we would have found the same success.

Q: Sometimes getting started is the hardest part of creating a company or implementing a new idea. What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs to get them from brainstorming to business?

JH: Stop strategizing and start doing. Many would-be entrepreneurs get bogged down by the idea of having to create a business plan and having to answer every question before they even know what questions to ask. Less than 24 hours passed between Jenny and I discussing the idea for Rent the Runway and the two of us cold calling our first designer. We took the strategy of testing out our idea on the ground and tweaking it as it progressed. Additionally, I have always had the philosophy that I have nothing to lose. If the idea did not work I would find another job and if it did, I would be doing what I loved everyday.

JF: I would suggest taking every single meeting, whether or not you think it will be immediately productive. Leverage your network and bounce your idea off of anyone that will listen because it is their feedback, doubts and suggestions that will help you crystallize the best possible version of your idea. Even if a meeting does not produce tangible results in the short-term, you will likely thank yourself down the line for making that connection. I would also advise finding a way to test your concept directly with consumers early on and see whether they will put their money where their mouth is! We did some initial consumer testing by buying dresses and renting them to college students. This testing taught us a great deal about our consumer, validated our concept, and helped us evolve our business ideas in an efficient way.

Q: Give us a peek inside the fashion world – in your current dress selection, what’s one of your favorite styles and who is your favorite designer?

JH: I develop a new designer obsession almost weekly, as Rent the Runway lets me play dress up in a way I never had the ability to before. Recently I have been loving all things Narciso Rodriguez. He came out with a mint color for spring that is pretty incredible with a tan. The clean lines he uses make all of his styles feel very sophisticated and easy to accessorize.

JF: We have a dress that I love from Calvin Klein Collection called the “Ramon Dress.” It looks like a simple long-sleeved dress but it is super flattering and comfortable and even has a fun cutout detail in the back.

Q: At Career Woman, Inc. we value the importance of mentorship in career development. In the journey of creating Rent the Runway, who has been your most important mentor and how have they helped you achieve success?

JH: I have had so many wonderful mentors who generously lend their time, experience and honest feedback with the intention of helping me grow as a leader. One of the most important mentors to me has been Scott Friend, one of our investors who believed in me and this business from the very beginning. One of Scott’s greatest strengths is his emotional intelligence. As a former entrepreneur himself, he understands how to build a solid team and company culture and his insights on leadership prove to be extremely important as this company continues to grow.

JF: Marc Lore has encouraged me to be ambitious and go after big ideas while maintaining a strategic, analytical approach to each initiative. Alfred Lin has shown me the balance of being hands on, yet strategic. Jenn herself has taught me a ton about sales and visionary thinking.

~ Lisa Quast

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Photos: Courtesy of Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss

When hanging out with your friends, you remember there was always one person who stood out in almost every situation. She tended to exude personality, charm and amuse most everyone she met – and was always the life of the party. You can picture her in a sales job, winning client after client.

Contrast that to the quiet, thoughtful, slower-paced individual in the group. She cautiously stayed in the background, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention. She rarely blurted out her opinion, but was always interested in what others think. She was a good listener and loved to analyze what everyone said. Did she go into sales? You doubt it. You picture her as more likely to have become an accountant, counselor or engineer.

You start wondering, “Hmm…what are the best personality styles for sales jobs?” This is an interesting question and, I think, grounds for many assumptions. The first assumption is embedded in the question itself, as it assumes that there is a “best personality” for sales. I am here to challenge our thinking on this.

All Styles Have Strengths And Weaknesses

When studying the elements of social styles it doesn’t take long to realize every style has strengths and weaknesses that can work for or against you in every profession and relationship — if you let them.

Let’s consider “Ms. Personality”, the born salesperson described above. She’s most likely an “expressive” style. As such, she’s gregarious, people oriented, fast-paced, eager to share her opinion, loves to be the center of attention, apt to dominate a conversation and loves to have fun.

Do you have a Ms. (or Mr.) Personality where you work? On the positive side, they’re probably a lot of fun to work with and they keep business meetings lively. But there can also be a negative side to expressive styles. How difficult is it to get Ms. Personality to complete administrative paperwork or follow a specific work process? Does she generally talk more than listen during meetings? Is she so fast-paced she often skips details?

Meanwhile, maybe your friend with the analytical style (the one you thought would end up as an engineer) actually went into sales. Unlike Ms. Personality, Ms. Analytical is methodical, organized, detail-oriented and quiet. Maybe she’s not as much fun because she doesn’t share a lot of stories or jokes, but when she’s in front of potential customers, she asks questions and listens intently to understand their needs.

Just like the expressive style, the analytical style can have associated negatives. For example, Ms. Analytical may not be as likely to directly ask the prospect for their business. She might also shy away from giving her opinion or making specific recommendations.

Versatility Is The Best Type

The most important thing to remember is that, no matter what your style, each has strengths and weaknesses. Every attribute of a style can be either a strength or weakness, given the specific situation and the style of the other people involved in the situation.

The skill of versatility is a way to minimize potential negative impacts of a particular style. Think of versatility as a method for flexing your own style to better match other styles. Here’s an example. If you are an expressive and working with a sales prospect who is an analytical:

• Try slowing down your pace to better match theirs, including how fast you speak
• Ask a number of well-thought out questions to help you understand their specific needs
• Don’t be afraid to pause and think about what they’re saying
• Listen carefully and ask clarification questions as needed
• Summarize what they’ve said or try paraphrasing back to them to ensure you understand what they’ve said
• Avoid being too assertive and pushy or you could overwhelm them

Anyone Can Be Successful In Sales

The reality is that no one style is more successful in sales than another. The key to being good in a sales job is to train yourself to be versatile. The skill of versatility isn’t something most people are born with; they have to work at it through practice. Being versatile and flexible in your style will help you earn trust, improve communication and form positive relationships — all of which will help you win business.

Interested in learning more about social styles? Then read the book, “People Styles at Work…And Beyond: Making Bad Relationships Good and Good Relationships Better” by Robert Bolton and Dorothy Grover Bolton. The tips and techniques in the book can be applied to sales jobs and any job you may be in.

Guest Blog Byline: This guest blog was written by David Levesque, an industry-leading sales trainer and market-developer for more than 20 years. David has trained professional sales people in consultative selling skills, negotiations, selling strategically, presentation skills and conducted clinical and technical training around the world. During his career, David has learned that successful selling isn’t personality specific – it’s dependent on behaviors and skills that are taught, practiced and learned. Click here to read more about David.

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