One of the most important aspects to consider when deciding on a retail sales training program is personality styles. Can a person with an amiable personality be a successful retail salesperson?

We are going to take a look at their polar opposite: The Amiable personality type and how this is best implemented in your retail store.

We are finding more and more people who have never been trained to work in retail sales, which is becoming a big problem. These employees usually wait behind the counter or at “the castle” for customers to come up and say they want something.

The Problem Is Not With Them, They Just Need Training.

Retail sales have become more difficult with the growth of e-commerce. Nowadays, customers need to be cajoled and coached for them to buy products.

Amiable is so in tune with the feelings of others that they shy away from confrontation. They prefer to make friends rather than enemies.

To get the most out of them, you should challenge your salespeople and let them step outside their comfort zone. This way they can grow as a person and become an asset to your company.

Sure they can be seen as popular because “everyone likes them so much.” But there is a big difference between being liked for niceness and being liked for sales

In a way, the best thing about being amiable is that you can imagine what it would be like to receive a gift and feel warmly accepted. Click To Tweet

And once they have been able to relax from their fear of rejection, those people are some of the most genuine I know.

Every day, people are faced with problems that require them to be helped. It is not always easy for the helper because they must give of themselves and their time to help others.

It is hard to find a better type of person than people with an amiable personality. They are friendly, loyal, and always ready with a smile.

For the people who are not motivated by money, It is hard to push them into making a sale. They are more interested in having an amicable conversation with you

Someone With Amiable Personality Just Does Not Hustle the Way Other Types Do

I know it sounds like I am bashing amiable, but do not get me wrong – they are kind and will help another friendly customer. If something goes wrong, they will do their best to make things right.

And that is a good thing.

The amiable personality is often more comfortable forming relationships with others that are based on understanding. The challenge for the other three personalities, (the guarded, fearful and self-absorbed,) who do not want to be treated like family.

• The Driver wants to be given the same recognition as a player.
• The Analytical wants to be considered as a professional
• The expressive people want to be treated like a celebrity.

One of the most difficult things to do is come across as a tough boss when you are naturally a person with an amiable personality.

When he said “Friendship is like wine; it requires time to mature” 400 years ago, I am sure de la Rochefoucauld was specifically talking about the amiable personality style.

“We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears.”

Salespeople who can have a conversation with the customer and challenge them will often do better than those that just listen. Those that fear rejection, however, tend not to be as successful.

They are so used to diffusing tension that they may not take a stand on what the customer should do.

It is a little harder for amiable people to sell if they do not have full faith in the product. But, when they believe in what you are selling and see it as helping customers rather than just making sales than everything changes.

And they will make the sale.

Sometimes a person’s personality might make them feel that they should not be selling expensive items to people who can not afford it or even lending a hand in this time of economic crisis. This means they are less likely to push the sale.

Many people are too afraid to show their true colors, so they either do not express themselves or stay in a one-dimensional personality type. This is especially the case with retail employees who need multiple personalities.

One of the best ways to find a good assistant is by hiring someone who has some skills and personality. The only exception might be when you tell them, “Go help that person.”

Introverts are more likely to have an amiable personality because they prefer a one-on-one setting where they can make a connection. The same goes for analytics who need time and space before meeting new people.

Training is the key to changing people’s natural tendency of avoiding risk.

Managers contact me and say, “I have a bunch of senior salespeople; how can I get them to change?” The challenge is, if they are amiable personalities, change is scariest to them.

When I first began hiring salespeople, the only thing that mattered to me was base pay and commissions. Now, after seeing how stressed they get when things do not go their way in a sale – not just with money but also knowing there is always someone younger who can replace them- it has become clear that other factors such as autonomy at work or company culture are much more important.

There are many reasons that this is the case. For one, It is much easier to just go with the flow when you are not directly involved in sales and do not have a stake in whether or not drivers make their quota each week.

Some people might think that the amiable is dragging down sales.

What I am trying to say is…

People With Amiable Personalities Tend to Be Less of a Natural Salesperson.

They are the type of people who will help you out without asking for anything in return. They like to be nice and friendly.

Rewarding and competing with contests will not make your employees into superstars because they do not value these types of rewards. If you are a friendly person, here is some advice to help get the most out of yourself:

• Always be aware of the time you are talking – not listening.
• do not overshare personal information or ask for too much. you are not looking to get into a friendship, you want the sale.
• Even if you think the customer did not respect your pitch, force yourself to keep going. You never know when they will suddenly see something in what you are selling.
• Talk to an Expressive or Driver personality and find out how you can improve.

Amiable is more comfortable in social settings than they are when alone. Click To Tweet

When left to their own devices, Amiables become less open and friendlier.

Amiable are so careful about their feelings that they often do not let people know when they have been hurt. Drivers might be offended by criticism, but the Amiable would not take it personally.

That is because their main goal is to be well-liked.

Passive employees can be a real pain for managers because they do not do anything.

For the amiable personality type, being liked is not enough. You have to be able to please all four types of personalities for your customer service skills to pay off.

Once you decide to take the plunge and start selling, make sure that you get some retail sales training. If you do, there is a good chance that your commissions will be huge.