Author: Christina Bowser

While turnover is another part of managing workers, there is stress, and a cost in time and money.

You’ve gotten the cake, had the farewell party and are looking for a replacement. Now, it’s time to find a replacement.  Have you stopped to think about the true cost of your team’s turnover? Replacing quality talent takes time and costs money; you’ll need to find, hire and on-board the replacement worker while the rest of your team covers their responsibilities. Retaining key team members lowers your costs, reduces your aggravation, and makes your entire workplace run more efficiently.

Why Does Retention Matter?

The more skilled an employee is, or the higher the position they hold, the costlier it is to replace them. According to the Center for American Progress (CAP), it can cost anywhere from 50% to a whopping 150% of a worker’s annual salary to replace them. Highly skilled technical workers, supervisors and managers are the most expensive team members to replace, but even those working at entry level cost about 50% of their annual salary when they leave.

The High Cost of Employee Turnover

Any time an employee leaves, you’ll need to pay some direct costs to replace them, but there are indirect costs and even an impact on your ability to serve customers as well.

Direct Costs of Replacing an Employee

Recruiting: If you lose a team member and have to pay to use a recruiter, you’ll pay an average of about 25% of that person’s annual salary to replace them. Doing it alone? You’ll still need to spend some money on recruitment efforts.

Salary: You’ll also often have to spend more money on a new hire than you would if you were promoting or hiring from within. You’ll pay an average of 20% more for an external new hire, according to research from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Training, Certification and Testing: If your new hire needs to take a class, become certified or requires credentialing, these expenses can add to your fees as well.

Labor Cost: Someone is going to have to pick up the slack while you recruit and on-board a new team member. The actual hiring process takes time as well, so you and key team members are all going to be directing time towards a non-billable project each week until you find your next hire. If any of those workers are hourly, you’ll be paying some overtime; salaried workers may even encounter tax restarts if they are compensated for extra time.

Turnover Effects on Clients

If you lose a salesperson or a preferred customer service person you could even see some residual effects when dealing with your clients. Sometimes clients will follow a preferred employee or leave the business entirely if they experience changes.

The bottom line?

Turnover is bad news for your business.

Reduce Employee Turnover and Retain your Best Talent

How can you beat this cycle and avoid overpaying for new hires? Retaining your best talent is a must, but even your unskilled workers will cost you money if you have constant and ongoing turnover. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, there are things you can do to retain your best talent.

Pay Attention

In many cases, there are clear signs of trouble before you lose a key employee. You may begin to realize just how high your replacement costs have become. Notice how swiftly your teams are turning over and how often you are losing good staff members. If it happens frequently, there is something wrong somewhere. Either the employees are not well suited for the roles they have, there is something wrong in a specific department or you could be managing your assets poorly. Knowing that something is up and that you have a problem is the first step towards fixing it.

The Retention Process Begins at the Date of Hire

Hiring someone that is suited for the role and can actually do the job is essential; giving an accurate idea of the responsibilities and daily tasks matters as well. If you’ve talked up the job to sell it to your favorite candidate and they discover the role is not exactly as exciting as you’ve made out, they’ll leave as soon as they can. Whether your new hire is over their head or over qualified, either type of mismatch can spell trouble for your turnover rates.

Understand your Team and their Unique Needs

The same DISC assessment models that help you spot leaders and strengths within your organization can provide real-time, meaningful data about your individual team members. If you know you have a lot of “D” types and you’re expecting them to perform passively or to be real “people” players, you’re missing the mark.

Understanding your team’s DISC profiles can also help you uncover what motivates them. You can find the key to providing rewards and incentives they’ll truly respond to. We recently took our team to one of those fun new escape rooms – and not surprisingly, everyone immediately responded as their DISC profiles suggested they would.

Measure Satisfaction Regularly

How happy are your employees? It is easy to overlook morale and loyalty in the rush to complete projects and meet goals. However, taking the pulse of your team occasionally can alert you to trouble ahead. Simply asking for feedback actually goes a long way towards helping your retention rates, since employees feel their input and opinions are valued enough for you to ask about them.

Don’t Shop in the Bargain Bin

You can save money on a lot of things for the office, but your team isn’t something to scrimp on. If you want top talent, you’re going to have to pay for it. Employees who are underpaid or who feel undervalued will swiftly begin to look for a new place to work.

Money isn’t Everything

You should pay a competitive salary, but other perks matter too. Soaring health insurance costs make your benefits package more important than ever, while little perks like a company coffee bar and in-house gym area make a big impact for workers. According to the Wall Street Journal, these little perks go a long way when it comes to building loyalty.

Incentivize, Notice and Reward Loyalty

Recognize employee anniversaries – all of them, not just the big ones. Your employees, whether they’ve worked one or 10 years for you, need to be recognized for their service. They need to know they are valued. It’s easier to accomplish if you’re aware of the their DISC profiles. You will have insight on what motivates and demotivates them.

Rewarding employees who do a great job with inexpensive but meaningful perks and incentives can also go a long way. That $25 Starbucks card may not cost much, but your employee will appreciate and remember it.

Leadership Plays a Key Role in Retention

The way your management team (and you) interact with your employees sets the tone for your entire culture. The behaviors you model will influence how your team interacts and how they behave towards one another.

Try to set high goals for yourself, your team and your organization. Then make sure to support everyone on their way to achieving those goals. You are far less likely to lose key players, at least on a regular basis. Providing your team with the tools they need to succeed, cheering them on, and even giving them some accountability ensures that they always feel respected and valued and that your culture is where it should be. Not everyone is going to go home from work happy and excited every day – but there should be more great days than bad ones.

Beat the Retention Gap

When you create a culture of accountability, make sure to invest in your team. Also, take the time to find out what they want and need from you. If you do, they are far more likely to stick around. Happy employees are satisfied, work more effectively and productively and make your workplace better for everyone.

Taking the time to assess where you are with your employee satisfaction and retention efforts and learning more about how your team works and what motivates them can help you reduce turnover. You’ll benefit from a more stable staff and drastically reduced recruitment and hiring costs. In addition, your whole team will benefit from a positive, stable environment at work. It’s never been easier to get the insight you need into your team; our innovative approach to the DISC styles assessment can give you the tools you need to succeed.

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Have you ever tried an Escape Room challenge? They are adventure strategy games with time limits, where escaping wins the game. If you’ve ever tried it, you’ll see DISC styles under pressure!

What better setting to show DISC styles under pressure than to be locked in a room with family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers? Our team of six took on the challenge, but what was really in store for us?

What is an Escape Room Challenge?

Wikipedia describes Escape Room as a physical adventure game. Players solve puzzles using clues to finish and escape before the time is up. It’s a game filled with time limits, tight spaces, and frenzied interacting players. Your group has to work together to win. Challenging right?

Game Designed to Show DISC Styles Under Pressure

Our room was built like an Old West bank and cramped with props. This was supposed to be all fun and games, but the pressure’s on from the start. As the door closed, the wall clock starts to tick down. Wait a minute! Aren’t we supposed to receive instructions? Nope, the door closed and we were off and running. We had exactly 60 minutes to rob the bank and escape with the loot. We ran around frantically in search of clues that would open the safe and win the prize.

Crazy people running around, racing against the clock, multi-tasking and trying to figure things out all sounds like a typical day at the office right? You may be used to juggling emails, meetings, and deadlines, but you go home exhausted and frazzled. You spent countless hours in meetings trying to get your opinion heard. Your co-worker is trying to explain something to you. She totally gets what she’s trying to tell you, but wonders why you don’t. You wonder how she could possibly think anyone can understand her explanation. The project deadline is looming. You are both frustrated.

What if there was a tool that could make our workdays more effective? Knowing our DISC styles under pressure can help us achieve so much more.

Tool to Help DISC Styles Under Pressure

There’s no way to eliminate pressure, but we can control how we react to it; especially if we have a behavior action plan prepared. If you develop a strategic response plan to common situations, then you will be better prepared to manage stressful settings. However, you need a place to start. You can start by understanding how you naturally prefer to do things or knowing your DISC profile. Your DISC assessment shows how you prefer to communicate, what motivates you, how you show up under pressure, and more.

Once you understand DISC and are more self-aware of your own DISC style, then you can move on to how you interact with others. DISC helps you to identify the main DISC style of others, which gives you more information about the person. Ultimately, the key to the 4-step process is to adjust your behaviors appropriately to improve your interactions. You are in control. That’s good news.

But, when you are stressed or feeling emotional, the focus and energy you’d normally use to make the adjustments isn’t there. In the Escape Room Challenge you’re excited, feeling competitive, and racing the clock. Players are hurling information and demands at you from every direction. You are doing the same thing to others. Emotions get higher and higher and the situation can quickly escalate into chaos.

How Did Our DISC Styles Under Pressure Do?

It can happen in a game and it can happen to us in our daily lives. That’s why exercises like the Escape Room Challenge are useful. They remind us that when we are emotional and stressed, our DISC Styles are more likely to show up. However, the behaviors that are most natural to us are not always the most effective in the current setting. Whenever possible, you need to evaluate, before situations come up, how we can better modify our DISC style.

Obviously, we escaped. I will even brag that we did it in record time, but there was lot of confusion, misunderstanding, and arguments. We definitely could have worked better as a team, but hey, it was just a game, this time around. I know you want to know how we actually escaped, right? Let’s just say there were some locks cracked, unarmed spontaneous shots fired, and bombs detonated. Sorry, but I’m not giving away the secrets to escaping. You will just have to win it on your own!

DISC can be an effective tool to enhance customer service. Imagine how much more engaged and responsive your customers would be if you communicated in a DISC style that was comfortable and natural for them?

DISC assessments can provide an added layer of information to use in customer analysis. In addition, managers can use DISC profiles to match their staff to the job roles where the employees are more likely to thrive. These DISC assessments can be a part of customer service training. They can help salespeople and others who have customer service jobs work with people more effectively. Not only does that mean a business with smoother operations, but also creating a customer base that feels valued and loyal.

Where Does Great Customer Service Start?

Great customer service starts with well-trained employees. People look for a positive experience and prefer dealing with a real person. In the U.S. the ballpark cost of customers going elsewhere, due to poor service, is estimated to be close to $1.6 trillion. Customers will switch to another company and they will also make sure to tell others about their poor experience. Companies can’t rely on the quality or popularity of their product because service can be a deal breaker. They need to build in great customer service. DISC can give customer service employees a tool to create a positive consumer experience.

How does a customer service manager go about building a great team? There is no perfect or ideal style when it comes to customer service staff. Experience and training also plays an important role. However, there are some styles that are more naturally suited for different customer service settings. When building a team, it is also important to focus on team dynamics. The DISC assessment can help employers select the best roles in their company for employees to thrive. Customer Service teams that interact well as a group will function more smoothly and be more productive.

Customer service is important. It’s based on how employees and customers interact. We all know the importance of treating the customer right, but what if we treat the customer the way they want to be treated? Identifying and understanding your customer’s communication style helps you to accomplish that. Therefore, employees who are trained with the right customer service tools, can help the company succeed.

The Importance of Customer Service

People who only use their own comfortable communication styles may struggle in customer service. Employees may lack awareness to adapt and interact the way the customers prefer. They may seem too blunt or direct when the customer wants time to process and think. They may be overly enthusiastic and unaware of personal space when the customer is reserved. Clients may leave feeling frustrated.

The DISC model has four main communication styles. D-Style’s fall on the fast and assertive end of the spectrum, while C-Styles are reserved and more formal in interactions. I-Styles focus on interactions, while the S-Styles are team players. Depending on the customer and setting, one style may be more effective than another. Having a mix of styles on a customer service team can help any business work with customers more easily. However, context is important. What product or service are you selling? What is your client base like? With DISC assessments, it’s easier to find people who fit what a company is looking for. Then customers get the right treatment and the business is more successful.

What Customer Service Training Offers

Some people are trained to handle customer service issues only one way. That will not always work and it can turn away a large segment of your potential client base. Employees need to be trained to adjust to each customer. Let’s say you have clients come in to inquire about your services, but they need materials to read or they need to think about it. Don’t give up. Identify the customer’s style as someone who may need more information and time to decide. Follow up with an email or phone call. Answer their questions carefully, even if you prefer to close the deal quickly and move on. The ability to adapt your DISC style to the client’s DISC style is more likely to close the deal.

The right customer service training, using the 4 effective steps to communication, gives employees DISC styles knowledge, the ability to identify the client’s DISC profile, and the skills to adjust. This creates awareness of the different styles and provides skills to work with customers and others. Customers are happier and so are employees. Learning to communicate well is not always easy. The environment and the styles of others both matter. However, when used correctly, DISC can be a valuable tool for better customer service.

How DISC Assessments Can Help

A DISC assessment focuses on the person. The self-assessment identifies the person’s natural behavioral style. It also provides insight into how that person works with others. In addition, the DISC report shows how he or she shows up in different context, like customer service or under pressure. Companies that use DISC assessments may see their sales figures improve because trained employees create better customer experiences. That will translate into customers returning again and again. That can mean higher sales numbers. It can also help with reviews and other important business aspects. The more customers like your treatment of them, the more likely they will be to return. That is what a business wants, of course, and what it needs to stay afloat. When employees know how to interact with customers, they can really help a business stay on track.

What Do DISC Profiles Tell You?

DISC profiles tell you about how the person prefers to behave and interact. That can help a person learn about themselves and how they interact with the world. Then they can make adjustments or simply be aware of any issues. They can also match their communication styles with others. Customers who interact with these employees will be more likely to feel satisfied. It’s important to remember that people may not be able to really change their true communication style. But knowing that style can make them more mindful of how they work with others. Then they can focus on what customers need. That goes a long way toward happy customers for any business.

Additionally, DISC profiles can show if there are concerns or clashes with a person and a particular job. Some people may not do well in customer service roles. They could be better off in a different type of position. The company may move them based on their DISC profile, and that could benefit everyone. Moving an employee to a different job can sometimes make all the difference in whether that employee struggles or flourishes.

How DISC Styles Affect Customer Interaction

Customers interact with employees generally on their own terms. Employees need to remember that customers need and deserve good treatment or they can walk away. When they can communicate well with those customers, they can help their business succeed. But not all customers expect, want, or need the same type of interaction. People gain an advantage if they know DISC because their customers feel heard and valued. They not only appreciate that, but they remember it. They tell other people, which can increase the customer base.

With the right use of DISC assessments to understand DISC styles, employees and customers can have great exchange. That improves the value of the interaction for everyone. Companies that take the time to use the DISC assessment help themselves and their customers. That’s good for everyone involved. It adds to the growth of companies, and the experience customers have with those companies, as well.

Most people think of the DISC model and the different DISC styles purely as a business tool. However, students can also find value in using DISC assessments.

Students need to learn skills to better communicate and interact with each other. It is essential for them to succeed in school, the working world, and beyond. DISC assessments can help them achieve success. DISC can help students to become better communicators, while improving interactions with all DISC styles.

Students Can Improve Communication Using DISC

There are many students who find it easy to get along with others. However, there are plenty who feel they can improve how they interact with others. They may struggle to get their point across, or fail to see why others don’t understand what they’re trying to say. Not only can this lead to frustration, but it can also lead to miscommunication. Students may struggle in their frequent group projects and teamwork. They need a tool that can help them work well together. Students can communicate better if they are aware of each other’s communication styles.

Knowing how to talk to someone is often just as important, if not more so, than knowing what to say. Students using DISC have the tools to communicate better with others. Public speaking and presentations are all a part of daily schoolwork for most students. Students can use DISC to find the best way to communicate information more efficiently to their target audience. In addition, students, who know their own DISC style and how they tend to show up under pressure, will be better prepared for public speaking. They will have more success in conveying their message and getting better grades.

Teamwork and Group Projects are an Essential Part of Student Coursework

In schools, teams are becoming the norm for more than just projects. Some classes have students work in daily or ongoing class pods. Students who don’t have the skills to effectively communicate may have difficulty working in teams. They may assume everyone prefers to do things the same way they do. For example, if a student prefers to skip instructions and make decisions without checking with team members, he or she may assume that everyone else in the team does too. Other times, they may stop or forget to make an effort to adjust their interactions with others. The DISC tool reminds them to constantly be self-aware and make adjustments if they truly want to be a successful team member.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to proactively avoid problems when working together. Understanding how one another prefers to communicate is one of those ways. In addition, DISC helps students understand that they can only control how they interact, but they cannot control others. Through the DISC assessment, students see their own strengths and areas of development. They also see how people of all DISC styles are similar and different.

There are instances where group projects go wrong. Conflict and disagreement are bound to happen at times. Some of the issues stem from miscommunication and a lack of understanding of the people you’re working with. While the DISC model is simple to learn, it does take practice. If used proactively to head off miscommunication and frustrations, then DISC can lead to better teamwork and more respect for the differences in team members. Now, the communication is not a distraction. The team members can focus on each other’s strengths and teamwork to get the assignments completed.

It’s Never too Young to Start

When people are better understood, the world, as a whole, is a better place. It makes sense, right? People get along; they respect each other’s differences, and focus on positive things. In addition, people listen to each other’s input and thoughts so tasks can get accomplished. Students often overlook some of that because they don’t have enough skills or experience to recognize it in the first place. Self-awareness actually allows students to become more outwardly focused. Again, the good news is that knowing and using the DISC tool is a skill that can be taught and mastered with practice.

Teams will not accomplish tasks if there are ineffective interactions or each member focuses solely on his or her own way of communicating. Students may not be aware that others are listening or hearing their message because they have different DISC profiles. Experience and training will help young people interact better with others, but it will take time to develop. Yet, DISC is a skill that can be taught early on and used successfully.

Understanding Others Makes For a Better World

A lack of understanding and a lack of communication add to the challenges that students face today. When people talk to each other and really listen to the answers, so much more gets accomplished. It’s often an overlooked skill. If students are able to adjust their behaviors in a way that facilitates smoother interactions, then they will be ahead of the pack. Students will find success beyond their academic setting. That can go a long way toward ensuring a good understanding of how a situation works and how much of the issue people really understand.

When students present to an audience or class, the key is being aware that the information won’t be heard and understood the same by all people. They’ll need to process it differently. Of course, it’s not possible to meet everyone’s communication styles in the audience. Students may create presentations based on how they prefer to be engaged. For example, if the student thrives on detailed processes and facts, they may inadvertently assume their audience is also interested in processes and facts. The DISC model can go a long way toward developing students who are more accepting of others and more aware of their surroundings.

Preparing Students for the Job Market

The DISC model can also help students prepare for the job market. Everyone needs a competitive advantage whether it’s meeting potential recruiters or future bosses. Students need every skill and tool available to make a lasting impression. Graduates will not only be going up against fellow graduates, but also people with job experiences and training. The skills to be able to communicate effectively will help a graduate stand out from the crowd.

No matter the age of a student, he or she can start preparing for the job market and the working world by developing good communication skills. Those skills are more likely impress interviewers and get them hired! Once hired, it will help him or her continue on a path to success by being able to interact well with employers, co-workers, and clients.

Preparing for the Working World

Congrats! You’ve graduated, got hired and now are about to enter the working world. Now it’s just as critical, if not more so, to be able to communicate appropriately. There’s less room for error. Students, from a very young age, work best with clear directions. Students in college do the same. It’s part of the learning process. In the working world, clear directions aren’t always a given. How those directions are provided and processed also matters. They will be more successful understanding directions if they have skills to listen and interact with others.

Since people process things differently, good directions may not work well for everyone. Sometimes people clash because of differing communication styles. A D-style team member prefers to give succinct, brief directions and expects quick results. However, his or her S-style team member may be hesitant to act on those directions without additional information, support, or buy-in from others. The information students learn in school can be translated to the jobs they’ll have. The earlier people learn communication skills, the more likely they’ll be recognized and promoted.

DISC Gives Students Strong Levels of Insight

Students will gain an advantage if they have DISC communication skills. Understanding people is vital, but the skill doesn’t come naturally for everyone. In fact, most people, young and old, can improve their level of insight. Too often, people may be focused on their own perspective and they don’t see how others may have a different view. They expect the other person to get it right away. If that person doesn’t get it, he or she may appear clueless or not very sharp. In truth, the person may just have a different communication style. So, a different approach could solve the issue entirely.

People can get stuck in their same ways of doing things if they don’t have self-awareness. Often, we think of older people as being set in their ways, but it can happen with anyone. People fall into comfortable patterns of communication. They become routine since they are behaviors that are part of our natural DISC style. However, they don’t always translate well to working with others. The DISC model reminds students that others don’t always communicate the same way. Students need to adjust their patterns to work with others more easily. Students will also realize how important communication really is in the world.

Why Insight is Important

Self-awareness can make a difference in school, at work, and in personal relationships. It can also make students more sensitive to the needs and goals of others. Hence, they man be more compassionate and understanding. While not every student will become that way through learning about DISC profiles, it is certainly one of the ways students can develop more fully. It’s not always about just knowing that someone is different. It’s also about communicating through those differences and understanding how to work with others more effectively. Differences make up the world, but they can also be harmful when communication fails because of them. DISC communication profiles can help avoid that.

The understanding between two or more people can move relationships and projects forward, and that affects the bigger picture of the world. Two people can still work together well even if their DISC styles are very different. Awareness and adjustment is the key. That’s good news for anyone who feels misunderstood in school, too. With the DISC model, people develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of other’s differences.

Insight is about understanding, but also about learning to be respectful and interact with people who are different. Even simple levels of interaction can make a big difference, and are important for students and their teachers. DISC profiles will improve that interaction, and thus, the lives of the students involved.

Building Relationships and Maintaining Them

DISC can do more than help students do well in their studies. DISC can also help students make friends and maintain relationships. It’s just as important as studies, if actually not more so. The idea that it’s not what you know, but who you know is often very true. When people interact better, they are more likely to develop friendships that could also be mutually beneficial.

DISC can help students meet and form bonds with others. If they get it right, it could form a lasting bond. This could be personal, professional, or both. Some friendships formed in school will last into adulthood. Others will end quickly, as people go their own ways. Regardless, though, it’s the value in learning how to develop relationships and friendships. That is a skill, and it is one that is very much needed in the technological world today that has become more isolating. It’s an important skill for work and building relationships, but also for simple social interaction.

If students can’t interact with one another well, they may feel more isolated and like outcasts. They need to be aware that behaviors are perceived differently. For example, people may not approach them if they seem cold or distant. When perhaps; they are really shy or reserved. Students may not realize the assertive behaviors they view in themselves, comes across to some as aggressive or even bullying. It’s a challenge, but better communication may increase awareness and allow for adjustments. Just knowing how to talk to people differently can mean significant changes to the way a person is seen, in school or anywhere else. It may not be easy, and it will take practice, but the rewards will show up.

DISC in the Long Run

Understanding the DISC model will help students form friendships more easily. That can get them better jobs and other perks in life. It can also simply keep them from feeling lonely or depressed. Being able to interact with people on the level those people need matters. The earlier young people learn that, the better it will be for them in the future. It’s not always easy to understand why people act a particular way, but their communication style often has a lot to do with it. When students can better understand DISC styles, they will also be able to recognize how others prefer to communicate.

The DISC model can help students succeed and understand one another regardless of the differences in the way people talk to one another. It’s a great way for them to see their own communication style and learn about others. They may also want to practice some changes to their behavioral style. If they do that, they could see that it makes a big difference in their school and future success.

Have you ever considered how people make decisions on when and if they will buy something? How can knowing someone’s DISC buying style help you close a deal?

We all have preferred ways of doing things. Specifically, people have preferred ways of making decisions when it comes to buying something. Knowing someone’s DISC buying style simply reminds you that you can better control the sales process by adapting your sales style. Some DISC types want a direct just tell me what I need to know approach. Other DISC profiles want assurance or data to be able to make the correct decision. If you can find what motivates your prospect to purchase, then you will become much more successful at closing that deal.

Scenario of a Sales Call Gone Wrong

So, last week I realized my phone was acting up. Who knew you were supposed to power down your phone at least once a week? Stop the eye rolling. Once that happened, all of my missing voicemails popped up. Yes, I’m popular with my dentist and sales people.

One was from someone I didn’t know, but a close friend had given him my number. Thanks close friend. I decided to go ahead and call him back to hear what he had to say. Turns out he’s a college student selling fancy knives. Do they actually still do that? Well, after a long backstory about saving for college and no pressure, which I’ll spare you, he assured me there’s nothing I had to really do. I didn’t even have to buy the knives! He only needed to do a quick home presentation to earn credits.

I didn’t need knives, but I do have a soft spot for kids so I listened. It wouldn’t hurt too much to help him out right? I couldn’t see him this week, but  I told him to try me next week when my schedule wasn’t so crazy. Couldn’t was like a trigger word. He launched into direct sales attack, pressuring me to nail down a time and place. He wouldn’t let it go. I had enough and told him I was doing a favor for a friend, but it wasn’t going to work out and ended the call.

How Knowing My DISC Buying Style Could’ve Helped You

How did it go from furthering your sales process, to getting shut down? You’re probably in your first real job and you’ve eagerly absorbed the sales training. You are hyped and ready to sell!

This is what I wish I had the opportunity to tell you. Yes, you can be successful with the skills you acquired in your sales training. Sales training can be highly effective. It’s a great way to develop your skills. In addition, you get out there in the field and gain sales experience. But, what if I told you about a tool that could help you quickly read and identify how a person likes to buy? If you have more insight into the DISC buying style of your prospect, then you know what makes him/her more likely and more motivated to buy from you. Selling would be more successful for you.

Closing the Deal Using DISC Buying Styles

Learning one way to sell can be misunderstood to believe that you only have one type of prospect or customer. Next time you’re working with your prospect, think about how he/she prefers to make buying decisions. Does he/she want you to hit the selling points quickly? Should you offer product brochures and promise to give them time to review them before following up?

Also, remember the factors that motivate DISC styles to buy. Is your client looking for status or recognition? Are they more interested in reliability or expert endorsement?

Your ability to identify the DISC buying style of your customer could me the difference between winning the sale and getting shut down. I still love my friend, but I am still not in the market for knives.

Were you ever surprised to hear yourself called “insensitive” because that’s not how you would’ve described yourself? At times, you may feel a disconnect between how you view yourself versus how others view you. Blind spots may stem from this gap in self-awareness.

How you view your behaviors is not always how others view them. When there’s a gap between two different views it can cause miscommunication and hinder your interactions. We call this gap your blind spots. Your knowledge of DISC is just one step towards your self-awareness, but it can also help you better understand how others see you. The result could mean removing your blind spots.

How Do Blind Spots Show Up?

DISC focuses on behaviors or how a person acts. Think of the act of doing something as essentially neutral. For example, your department has been assigned a special project to launch your latest product. You’re all over it! You’re moving fast and taking some risks. The finish line is in sight and the glory of the product launched. However, others see your actions differently. Were you shocked when your boss pulled you aside to tell you to slow down and stop carelessly rushing, or the project will fail? Both sides can agree the end goal is to get the product launched successfully. However, one person sees the other as rushing and not being a team player. The other feels getting the product launched as soon as possible, regardless of input and errors, is a win-win for the team.

How does this disconnect show up? We may have a clear view of how we do things, but we may not realize that others see us differently. We may even make assumptions that everyone operates the same way we do. For example, if you’re totally focused on launching the product fast, then everyone else must have the exact same belief, right? Our own DISC style and perceptions give value to the behaviors we observe. Let’s look at some examples.

You’re So Insensitive: D-style Blind Spots

D-styles prefer to focus on tasks. If you’re a D-style, you probably prefer to work quickly and independently. When you’re under pressure, you may over emphasize your strengths. In some cases, you get tunnel vision because you’re so focused on accomplishing the task. You may not ask for input from others. You may exceed authority because you’re focused on completing the task. It may not have occurred to you to check in. As a D-style, you may not even realize you’re coming across as insensitive or showing a lack of concern for others.

In your view, you’re simply focused on accomplishing the task. Doesn’t everyone want to achieve success and keep moving forward? They do, but not always in the same way you do. D-styles prefer to communicate in one direction – you talk and others listen. That’s not always the case for the other DISC styles. D-styles are the most independent DISC style. However, recognize how your actions and behaviors affect others. As a D-style, you can continue to achieve great things and accomplish tasks, but be aware of how your actions are viewed by others. Try taking a few extra moments to ask for input, or slow down a little and update your team. In the end, you will find the achievement is even more rewarding.

You’re Such a Spaz: I-style Blind Spots

Spaz can have different meanings, but in slang terms it often refers to someone who is impulsive or overly-animated. I-styles prefer to focus on people and emotions. If you’re an I-style, you enjoy interactions! You’re likely outgoing, talkative, and people-oriented. As with the D-style, you are one of the more individualistic DISC styles. You tend to work quickly and avoid details. However, others may perceive you as careless, impulsive or even a spaz. You think, “why do people see me as a spaz?”

You’re slightly bewildered because you’re just trying to be engaging. You love interacting with everyone! I-styles prefer to make quick decisions based on gut-reaction and emotions. However, they want results to reflect positively on themselves. I-styles are open, energetic, and friendly. Here you are taking that wonderful positive energy and spreading it out to everyone you meet. Positive experiences with others make for a better team, right? However, the energy and emotional-based interactions may come across to different DISC types in a way you don’t anticipate. Your energetic communication style may feel chaotic, frenetic, and yes, like a spaz to others. Consider slowing down, focusing more on information, and allowing others to speak. You may find that the spaz label may no longer be used to describe you.

You’re So Indecisive: S-style Blind Spots

Have you ever been called “indecisive” and thought, “I’m not indecisive! I’m just taking the needed time to make sure the decision is the best for everyone!” As an S-style, you’re often seen as amiable and a team player. You tend to think of yourself as part of a team, whether it’s a work team, family, or a group of friends. Emotions and building relationships are a priority over just completing tasks. You need to consider others who may be involved or impacted. As a more reserved DISC style, you often need more details and time before making decisions.

So when it comes to making decisions, you want to gather all the information, consider the input of others, and then make the decision. However, to other DISC types, your actions can come across as indecisive because you tend to be slower to make decisions. As an S-style, you prefer to listen more than speak, so it’s important to verbalize your actions to others. Try moving more quickly. Let people know that you’re not indecisive, but rather, focused on making the best decision for people around you. When people have a better understanding of your decision-making process, they may remove the indecisive label.

You’re So Impolite: C-style Blind Spots

Are you surprised when someone described you as “distant” or “impolite”? Were you just feeling somewhat shy and reserved when interacting with that person? You preferred to listen and process the dialogue unless there was something valuable to contribute. C-styles are the most reserved of the 4 DISC profiles so that shyness and lack of visible emotions may come across to others as distant or even impolite.  As a C-style, do you prefer to work in small groups or even alone, where you can focus on tasks and information? C-styles prefer to talk about data and facts rather than opinions or abstract matters. They can be quieter and less comfortable expressing disagreeing viewpoints. Therefore, you may be quiet, formal, or shy, but realize that can come across to others as impolite, uncaring or distant.

Now that you’re more aware of how others see your actions, consider talking up more. Spend a little more time chatting. It won’t be comfortable at first, but if you practice with a few people, it will get easier over time. When you are interacting with others, consider focusing on the person rather than facts and figures. Be open to discussion, but don’t get hung up on details and numbers. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone can go a long way to improving how you interact with others and reducing the impolite label.

Use Your DISC Assessment to Reduce Blind Spots

Our DISC assessments can help you identify the blind spots in your DISC style that may be holding you back. The You at a Glance page is just one section of the DISC report you can use to learn more about how others see you. This section is a description of how others are likely to perceive you. Remember, the DISC Assessment presents your natural behavioral style because behavior is something we make appropriate changes to. While the You at a Glance section describes your typical behavior as seen by others, you certainly can modify your behavior to fit the needs of a particular situation or role. It does not take into account your attitudes, skills, experience, etc.

The Open 360 is another tool that can help identify your blind spots. Open 360s can be used in any application where feedback from others is helpful in developing the performance of employees, teams and organizations. The 360 report is based on the answers given to Extended DISC 360 Tools – Open 360 questionnaire.  The results indicate the perception of the respondents and should not be assessed without knowledge of the environment. Contact us for more information on the Open 360.

Being interviewed for a job is stressful. It is even more stressful when you go into a job interview without a clue as to who is interviewing you. Learning about the four DISC profiles before your job interview can help ease stress before the process.

Job interviews. We all dread them. It is never fun to have to try to prove your worth to another person for something you desperately want and need: a job. However, DISC can help you ease your stress for any upcoming job interviews with a few simple steps. First, it is important to become self-aware. Second, try to understand the four DISC profiles before your job interview. Third, adjust your DISC style for effective communication for a successful job interview.

Okay, so the quick tips above need to be broken down, right? Of course! Below is a breakdown of the simple DISC approach to a successful
job interview.

Self-awareness is key

Knowing who you are to the best of your ability before a job interview is probably the best advice I can give. It seems simple, right? Who know yourself better than you? Sometimes it is not. Many people aren’t fully self-aware, and I know that sounds harsh, but it is true. The Extended DISC Individual Assessment can help you increase your self-awareness. First, it tells you your natural DISC profile. In return, the report gives you a breakdown of how you prefer to behave and do things.

We can have blind spots when it comes to our style. You need to also be aware of how others perceive your DISC style, as it’s not always the same. You think you’re direct, but others may think you’re insensitive. The assessment let’s you know if constantly speaking with people throughout the day takes a lot of effort for you, and so much more! That way, when you go into your job interview, you are fully prepared to answer the little questions about who you are.

How Being Self-Aware Helps You Find Your Ideal Job

Being self-aware and understanding your DISC profile may also help you understand the type of job you plays on your strengths and motivates you. Say you’re an S-style DISC profile. Typically, S-styles prefer stability and are less comfortable with change in their job roles. Jobs in the technology start-up industry, where change can be sudden and often inevitable, is probably not the best fit for you. However, with knowledge about your DISC style, you can proactively make adjustments to excel in any job or role. The key is knowing who you are and when to make appropriate adjustments.

The DISC assessment results also tell you how you show up under pressure. Under pressure, your most natural self tends to shine. A job interview is a pressure situation. Therefore, understanding your most natural self will make you aware of your natural behaviors, and prepare to tone them down.

Understanding the DISC Profiles before your job interview

Everyone has a different way of doing things. This is obvious. There may be a few ways you can understanding your interviewers DISC profile type before the job interview. Did you exchange phone calls or emails before the job interview? What were they like?

D-Style profiles like their phone calls short and sweet. They want you to get to the point. Their emails will be the same way. They may even be a little informal and come off rude. I-styles are outgoing and enthusiastic. Their phone calls will be longer, and their emails will be social and friendly. They may, however, ignore the details. They could even reschedule your job interview because they perhaps overbooked!

S-Style profiles are the hardest to recognize. Look out for someone who seems agreeable, steady, and calm. An S-style may even let you choose the time and place where the interview will happen. They prefer to listen over speak. A C-style profile will be formal in their communication with you. They prefer emails over phone calls. Look out for emails that have all the facts and details laid out, almost a little too perfect.

If your communication with your interviewer is minimal and difficult to decipher, try looking them up on social outlets. Check out your interviewers Facebook or LinkedIn profile, if they have one. How do they describe themselves in their ‘about’ section? What kinds of things do they post to their account? Do they seem to stand out and fit a particular DISC type? Remember: No DISC style is better or worse. Embrace the DISC profiles and use the DISC profile of your interviewer to land your job!

What to do after learning the DISC profiles and who your interviewer is…

Once you identify the DISC style of your interviewer, you may need to adjust your DISC style in the interview. If the individual interviewing you is a D-style, let them be in control of the interview process. Focus on results and get to the point. Do not focus on details too much and be ready with a quick response to their questions. With an I style interviewer, stay positive and let them talk. I-Styles want to be liked, so being friendly goes a long way. Like the D-Styles, I-styles do not care for details, so don’t overuse data and facts.

If an S-style is interviewing you, be sure to take your time in the interview. Build rapport. Answer questions with many details and don’t make them feel like if you’re hired, too much change will happen. Lastly, if your interviewer is a C-style, do not show up late to the interview, show up early. Be prepared with your approach to answering questions with as much detail as possible. Focus on facts and data. Like them, try to be a perfectionist in your job interview.

Understanding the four DISC profiles before a job interview can go a long way. With that understanding, adjusting your DISC profile can make your job interview run much more smoothly. DISC assessments have the ability to instill you with a strong sense of self-awareness. They are also powerful when comprehending the behaviors of others. Be sure to consider our advice before your next big job interview!