So last week we talked about being comfortable with who you are and living in your skin. The key is, people are different and you don’t have to be like everybody else. This week I promised to talk about communicating with people the way they liked to be communicated with.

The key here, is that because people are different, they look for different things when they communicate. It is easy to assume everyone is just like us, but they are not.

I am sure by now you have taken the Animal Leadership personality test and found out whether you are a bear, wolf, eagle, or horse (If not, go take the test here). Each one of these personality types has things they are looking for when communicated with, and if you give them information in the way they like it fed to them, they will be more receptive to your message.

Many people don’t know that I do a fair bit of real estate sales when I am not giving Animal Leadership talks (or playing with my horses). Where I live, selling real estate can mean anything from small, year-round homes, to large tracks of forest land, to extravagant lakefront summer homes. Although sales is not natural for a guy who spent years as a grassroots conservationist, I love it because I am out and about working at my own schedule, and actually spend more time outside than I did in my last few conservation-related jobs. I also love it because I can approach it not as a salesman, but as a provider of information, and more of a consultant on anything related to the potential purchase. The way I provide this information is key to whether or not people will feel secure enough to purchase a property. It is the perfect testing ground for all things related to Animal Leadership.

Using the Wrong Bait?

Here is some of what I have learned about communicating effectively with all different kinds of people. First off, once someone is really comfortable with who they are, they are not going out of their way to prove themselves or impress you. These people, really great people to be around, are going to expect to hear things in a way that makes sense to them. It is almost like fishing, where if you have the wrong bait, some fish just won’t bite.

The Bear Personality

So, when you are dealing with someone who might be a bear person, you are going to want to be direct. Don’t beat around the bush or try to sugar coat things. Don’t waste time or try to be too persuasive. Let a bear person know the facts and listen to their opinion. Keep things in the moment and on topic. These people are all about business, so let them know you are too, or at least when you are trying to connect with them.

The Wolf Personality

Wolf people love the fun and what is possible. They want things upbeat. They will tell stories and like to be told stories as well. Keep things fun and light and provide information in an optimistic way. Being too abrupt or negative could scare them off.

The Eagle Personality

Eagle people like lots of details about things. They don’t make decisions lightly and need to spend some time taking it all in before they are ready to swoop down and grab their fish. For eagle people, you must not push them and make sure you do anything you can to help them understand the whole situation. Often, they will not move on until they feel confident that captured it all and haven’t missed anything.

The Horse Personality

Horse people are social people who like to talk about social things. They will put their necks out for friends, but will run if they think you have bad intentions. Let them know you care. They are not afraid of a job or having some work to do, but it should be specific and direct. The most common personality type is the horse.

Be Yourself

So the reason I mention all this is it is important to be yourself, and you will naturally gravitate to others like you. However, you can be so much more effective as a person if you help others be who they are and know how to communicate with them. Be a leader, know who you are and help others be who they are. Learn these few simple techniques and watch how it will help you make friends, communicate, and even increase sales if that is something you’re after. Live in your skin and let others live in theirs. Communicate effectively and feed others information the way they like it.

‘Till next time, keep leading,
Rad