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THE POWER OF READING PEOPLE

their driving forces, their motivations, allows you to ad-
dress their complaint effectively. Recognizing their motiva-
tions lets you offer resolutions that align with their values.
An aesthetically driven customer, for example, may prefer
a different form of compensation than one who is driven
by practicality.

• Tailor your conversation to your customer’s style by de-
veloping a personalized guide. This guide should feature
an introduction and presentation catered to their interests
and behavioral style, especially for customer types you fre-

quently encounter. This approach is particularly beneficial
when overcoming objections and during the concluding
phase of your interaction, as understanding their motivators
enables you to align the benefits of your arguments with
their interests.

• Understanding what drives a customer can help you redi-
rect their focus away from price competition to aspects they
truly care about, diminishing the emphasis on cost.

• In conflict situations, using your understanding of motiva-
tions equips you to respond more effectively to those in-
volved by addressing their concerns appropriately.

• When rapport is lacking in discussions with partners or cus-
tomers, you can foster a conducive atmosphere for dialogue.
While rapport may occur naturally with some customers, it
may require creativity to establish with others.

• By categorizing customers and applying this technique, you
can cultivate strong, trust-based relationships where cus-
tomers feel their needs are met consistently, often expressed
in comments like, “I’ve been doing business with . . . for
years and have always derived great benefit from it.”

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