How to Sell to Relater Buyer Types

Have you noticed your best clients don’t always have the biggest budgets?

Just because someone has a million dollars in their bank account doesn’t mean they’re a good fit for your company.

In fact, when you go through and look at your favorite clients from this past year, you’re likely to find that they have one thing in common:

They were easy to get along with. Your personalities gelled. It was…easy.

Here’s something else that’s likely to be true:

They’re probably like you.

Why do we book clients like us?

We tend to get along with those who share the same likes and interests.

And we also find it easiest to communicate with those who talk like us.

Let’s say you go into a room with people who speak four different languages: English, French, Spanish and Italian. Who do you spend the most time talking with?

The people who speak the same language as you!

You understand everything they’re saying – and none of what others speak – because that’s your native language.

If you’ve ever traveled overseas and found yourself in a situation with others who spoke different languages, you know that it’s likely you’ll end up spending most of your time talking with fellow Americans (or those from whatever country you’re from).

I remember the first time I traveled outside the US. I was on a bike with a buddy of mine for nearly four months riding through Europe. We camped pretty much everywhere we went but splurged on hostels every week or so to use their laundry facilities.

When we were in the common areas, we ended up spending most of our time talking with other Americans, or those from the UK and commonwealth countries.

I also remember reading a joke someone had left on a wall in the hostel in Florence on that first trip:

What do you call someone who speaks several languages? Multilingual. (It’s actually “polyglot,” but that’s beside the point and doesn’t make the joke as good.

What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual.

What do you call someone who speaks one language? American.

So often it’s true. Too often.

I’ve never forgotten that joke because it’s an indictment of our country’s insular outlook on cultural inclusivity. We’re often not pushed to explore, understand, or participate in ways not native to our original understanding.

Why you’re not connecting with enough couples

What does all this have to do with booking more weddings with clients you love at prices you deserve to charge?

Most salespeople only know only one language. Maybe two.

Here’s the problem:

Different buyers speak different languages. Four different languages, in fact. So when you only speak one or two, that means you’re missing out on two or three different buyer types.

That’s a lot of lost business because you don’t know how to communicate with them.

It’s easy for you to book couples who are like you, who speak the same language. But chances are you don’t connect with others who aren’t like you. And if you do book them, you find it hard to communicate throughout the client journey.

They may grate on you. They may bore you. They may lack boundaries. Or they might not pay attention to important details. Maybe they blow off deadlines. Or get caught in analysis paralysis. Or waste your time trying to create a friendship.

They’re not bad people. They probably aren’t even bad clients. But there’s a hidden obstacle between you and them:

A language barrier.

What if you could speak their native tongue? What if you were bilingual? Or even better, a polyglot who could communicate effortlessly with all four buyer types?

Then you would book more clients. And they’d have a better experience with you. And refer more friends and family your way.

And you’d have to market less. Spend less time (and money) on social media.

Yes, you have ideal clients who are easy to work with. But instead of limiting the couples you can communicate with, why not learn how to stretch your natural way of communicating with others to meet ALL your clients where they’re at?

Let’s go back to my first trip to Europe. England and Wales were easy. And the Netherlands were as well, because the Dutch tend to speak English as much as they do their native tongue.

When we were in France, I was able to put my three years of high school French to use, and although it was a struggle to have a long conversation with anyone, I could get by with the essentials like ordering eclairs, bottles of Cote du Rhone, and directions to the beach when we hit the Riviera.

The locals knew I didn’t speak much, but the effort went a long ways – and made the notoriously difficult French big supporters along our journey.

(If you’re wondering, Italy was largely a catastrophe. We got pulled over by the polizia on the road from Pisa to Florence, and the Vatican’s Swiss Guards nearly kicked us out of the “country” for breaking a rule we weren’t aware of.)

Learn how to sell to Relater buyer types

The fastest way to book more clients is to make it easy for them to communicate with you. And the best way to enjoy your daily work more is to find ways to connect with ALL your clients, not just those who are easy to get along with.

If you’re interested in learning more “languages” for your buyer and client journeys, tune into this week’s episode of Own Your Business. 

I explain how to meet Relaters where they’re at by connecting with them as people first, then potential clients.

Here’s a hint: They want to buy “you,” not your services.

Listen to the episode to learn how to connect with their biggest desires and tweak the sales process to match their communication preferences.