Recognising Personality Types: Red

There are lots of books and research papers about typing personalities by colour, and this has been incorporated by some larger corporations into their interviewing process. Wouldn't it be great if you could quickly identify the personality of the person you are speaking to about your opportunity, and tailor your presentation in the best way possible so that you only need to discuss what your prospect wants to hear to understand how the business could work for them?

The key is to Listen to your prospect, and you will quicky be able to identify which of the four main colour categories they fall into. Here are a few tips for the colour Red:

Red personalities generally live up to their name; independent, dominant, feisty, outspoken, goal-orientated, risk-taker, efficient, persistent. A self-starter who enjoys a challenge and loves solving problems! They are likely to be pilots, politicians, CEO's or managing directors of firms, lawyers, military leaders etc etc.

When you're speaking to a red you'll soon know it. They're great at conversation, but not great listeners. They prefer to cut through the waffle and get straight to the point which can be a little disconcerting if you're not as quick off the mark yourself! In fact, they can sometimes come across a little brash or egocentric, but are generally admired for their forthrightness and honesty.

If you want to work with this person, you will need to outline the results that can be achieved in your business and you'll need to be specific, such as "reach this goal and you'll be entitled to a free car", "reach that goal and you'll receive a bonus of £1,000" etc.

Red personalities aren't easily coachable, and are quickly bored by both inactivity and the mechanics of a business. They prefer to set off running and be independent. They may be impulsive and demanding but they also get results. Introduce a red personality type into your business and you'll have someone who can sometimes be insensitive to the feelings of others in their drive to the top, but their activity and enthusiasm for the task will motivate some of the slower movers.

Exhausting as they can sometimes be, red personalities are a definite asset to any team.