4 Types of People and How to Influence Them

For today’s #thankfulthursdays I would like to give gratitude to Sifu Dan Lok for teaching me this.

You know how they make you take those personality tests like DISC?

And then once you determine your personality type and that of your colleagues and team members, supposedly it will allow you to be able to work together better, since you already know the personality of each.

The problem there is that if you’re speaking with a client, or a visitor, or doing an interview with a potential hire, it’s very difficult to gauge their personality without having to have them take the DISC test.

So when it comes to figuring out how to best persuade potential clients, influence stakeholders, motivate your team, or gauge the personality and team fit of a potential new hire, there has to be a better way of gauging their personality quickly, so you can adjust your approach accordingly.

What Dan Lok has taught me is that there are 4 Personality Types, which can be described as gems – Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Pearl. He dives deep into each type, and explains what motivates them.

That way, you’ll be able to quickly gauge the personality of the person you’re speaking with, while you are having a conversation with them.

Here’s how.

It’s a bit lengthy at 45 minutes, but I assure you, you will get more value out of this that applies on the real world than if you just bum around and watch an episode of your favorite show.

I hope you found this to be useful, as it has been to me.

I know there are a lot of gurus teaching the exact same methods, and this may or may not even have originated from Dan Lok. But so far from what I’ve seen, he has the best explanation of this method, which has worked well for me.

In fact, I’ve used this within my team to help each member appreciate one another even more.

I’ve also used this to gauge stakeholders, and this has allowed me to have more meaningful conversations, and allowed me to quickly get their buy-in for certain initiatives.

Lastly, I’ve used this with great effect when interviewing potential hires.

I just ask: “What motivates you most? I will give you 4 choices, and you can tell me which one you can relate to or fits your personality the most.”

Then I go an explain each:

• (Ruby) Are you motivated by a challenge? Like if someone says “it can’t be done,” you’re the type who would say “watch me.”
• (Sapphire) Are you motivated by fun? Like if someone tells you to do something, and tells you it’s going to be a lot of fun.
• (Emerald) Are you motivated by analysis, data, facts, and figures? Like if someone tells you to do something and presents you with data and analysis as to why it makes sense.
• (Pearl) Are you motivated by a being part of a bigger cause? Like if someone tells to do something because it will be for the better good of our clients, customers, and employees.

Their answer to the above would allow me to gauge how and where they would best fit in the team, if we decide to them.

Give it a try! And let me know how it goes. Reply with a comment. I would love to hear if it was effective for you.