The Importance of Customers’ Character Accentuations
Abstract
The article is based on the strategy and prospect development concept of marketing relations. It is noted that the role of personal marketing communication, particularly personal sales, is increased in the field of marketing relations. The necessity of searching for the new effective tools of personal sales has been shown, one of which is the competency model of personal agents. It is considered that in order to demonstrate many competencies that make up the contemporary model, a personal agent has to create a psychological profile of the client. The theories are based upon the methods of creating a psychological portrait of the client that have been listed. It is noted that the fourth facet of psychological portrait of the client should be based on the theory of personal character accentuations. The algorithm of work with clients having different character accentuations has been developed. The traits of clients with different character accentuations are detailed. The following traits of the clients are referred to: communication and behavior features, positive character traits, negative character traits, clothing, facial expressions and gestures, speech. Recommendations for work with clients of hyperthermia, anxious, dysthymic, pedantic, excitable, emotive, sticking, demonstrative, cyclothymiacs and ecstatic types have been suggested. It is noted that the consideration of character accentuations of the clients allows increasing the level of subjective well-being of clients and promotes the growth of the main indicators characterizing the effectiveness of personal sales in the context of relationship marketing.
Keywords: Personal salescompetence modelpsychological portrait of the clientsubjective well-beingcharacter accentuation
Introduction
In contemporary market conditions that are characterized by a very high level of competition in the markets for goods and services, there is an important task for the companies. Its solution is related to the search for effective tools for personal sales, which allow improving the subjective well-being of clients. It becomes important to consider not only the economic but also the psychological well-being of clients. Personal agents should have an idea of the contemporary competency model and demonstrate the specific competencies in the context of relationship marketing on a high level in their professional activity. One of these competencies is the knowledge of the psychology of clients. A modern seller has to make a psychological portrait of a client for mastering. The theory of character accentuations is based on a single facet of psychological portrait of a client. Three other facets of psychological portrait are based on the theory of temperament, socionics theory, the theory of the thinking types (perception of the world). It is the segmentation of clients in the area of character accentuations that is the most time consuming process. Currently we have not met any valuable developments in this field. The aim of the article is to develop an algorithm of work with clients having different character accentuations. This algorithm is appropriate for use by personal agents in personal sales carried out in the area of relationship marketing. This action will allow receiving significant benefits to both the company and clients. The following tasks should be solved to achieve the goal of the research. First of all, it needs to prove the priority of the concept of relationship marketing. Secondly, it needs to substantiate the increasing role of personal sales in the context of the modern marketing paradigm. Thirdly, it needs to mark the four main facets of the psychological portrait of a client. Fourth, it needs to identify the main external traits of people having different character accentuations. Fifth, it needs to develop recommendations for work with clients having different character accentuations.
The psychological portrait of a client as an effective tool of personal sales in the context of relationship marketing
Increasing the role of personal sales in the context of relationship marketing
It is known that traditional marketing takes the views that the key to obtain high profits is to offer the right product to the selected target markets in effective ways. Relationship marketing in its turn implies a transition in the marketing activities from the exchange between a supplier and a consumer to the long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with clients. Attracting the client and the deals are considered as an intermediate stage in developing a durable business relationships and long-term success in the market, the focus is on the preservation of the initial customer.
D. Egan has an important opinion, he notes that traditional marketing is too scientistic, and too much relies on quantitative methods and is generally based only on short-term economic transactions. F. Buttle believes that traditional marketing is a marketing of guerrilla raids treating with each transaction as an opportunity to deceive a man and not caring about possible contacts in the future. E. Gummesson says that traditional marketing is a shameless use of customer’s non-acquaintance. There is an interesting opinion by C. Grönroos that marketing as a discipline may lose a chance of survivalwithout a serious "paradigm shift" (Egan, 2004). Thus, that traditional marketing is losing its relevance due to the fact that its followers will lose the resources for control over the behaviour of customers.
In my opinion, there is an interesting and true statement of S. Kusch about the coexistence of the two paradigms in the modern context of the society development. In some business areas, traditional marketing still plays a big role. Relationship marketing plays a significant role in such business areas as industrial markets, service sector and consumer markets (Kusch, 2008). We tend to call the concept of relationship marketing a new paradigm of marketing so as the status of the "paradigm" notion emphasizes its priority, importance and significance.
The question about the primary differences between traditional marketing and relationship marketing is very important. The following differences are the main ones of traditional marketing and relationship marketing based on the studied literature (Egan, 2004; Gummesson, 1994; Kiseleva, &Anikina, 2015; Kiseleva, Yeryomin, Filippovaa,&Yakimenko, 2016; Kusch, 2008; McKenna, 2001) (Table
The comparative analysis given of traditional marketing and relationship marketing enables to prove the priority of the recent concept. It is believed that traditional marketing is getting disadvantageous to the contemporary society, because it loses its relevance. Due to the irrelevance of temporal marketing reality that is the orientation on individual dealings, presence of the emphasis on the product, short-term interaction with clients, poorly expressed concern for customer satisfaction, egoistic core of the main purpose of the traditional marketing concept that is gaining a profit. The principles of relationship marketing are successfully shown in studied literature (Kiseleva, Yeryomin, Filippovaa,&Yakimenko, 2016).In the frame of the research issue, the most important principles are the following ones: the principle of the use of multidisciplinary approaches in marketing; the principle of emphasis on creating positive feelings, emotions, feelings and moods; the principles of importance of segmenting customers based on behavioral and psychological factors; the principles of monitoring customer feedback; the principle of application creativity in working with partners.
On the basis of the studied literature (Egan, 2004; Kiseleva,&Anikina, 2015; Kiseleva, Yeryomin, Filippovaa,&Yakimenko, 2016; Kotler, 2000; Kusch, 2008) and the analysis of the main differences between concepts we denote a number of key advantages for companies that are adherents of relationship marketing. These advantages include the level of expenses related to the attraction of new customers that are significantly reduced; the level of transaction costs related to finding and training new employees that are significantly reduced; the level of transaction costs related to building relationships with new business partners becomes lower; high entry barrier for new competitors, which is formed due to the retention of a stable client base by a company; profit growth that is due to the increase of number and amount of purchases by regular clients; risk reduction when introducing new products (services) to the market that is due to constant unchanging group of customers.
It should be noted that the application of the relationship marketing concept in practice requires changing not only the philosophy of the market activities of companies, but also the implementation instruments for marketing strategies, one of which are personal sales. The role of personal sales is significantly increased in the environment of relationship marketing so as their distinguishing feature in comparison with other marketing communications is a personal contact. The question about finding effective instruments of personal sales in modern environment remains open.
Knowledge of the clients’ psychologyas the primary competence of personal agents
In our opinion, the special importance has the principle of personal sales, which consists of the creation and introduction of the competency model of personal agents. The essence of the competency model is successfully disclosed in the literature by S. Spenser and L. Spenser (Spencer, 1993). The competency model for personal agents is successfully presented in the literature (Kiseleva,&Anikina, 2015) and includes itself the following competencies: positive thinking, personal involvement, control, risk taking, experience management, knowledge of the psychology of clients, political insight, knowledge and presentation of product, focus on satisfaction, focus on trust, focus on involvement, diagnostic understanding, resistance to stress situations, self-confidence, refined style, focus on result, initiative, search for information, ability to work, individual approach, loyalty to company, a healthy lifestyle, creative potential, focus on relationships. It is pointed out that the model is designed to increase the level of subjective well-being of clients and promotes the growth of the main indicators characterizing the effectiveness of personal sales such as satisfaction, trust, involvement, complex loyalty and profit.
The "knowledge of the clients’ psychology" competency of personal agents is one of the most significant in the implementation of personal sales in the environment of relationship marketing. The psychological portrait of a client is an effective tool of personal sales, which allows sellers of the new generation to build, maintain and develop privileged relations with clients. The basis of the psychological portrait of a client is the four classifications of basic stable and relatively stable typical psychological characteristics of the person. In our opinion, the psychological portrait of a client should be based on four theories: the theory of temperament, socionics theory, the theory of the thinking types (perception of the world) and the theory of character accentuations. We suggest four main areas of the clients’ segmentation. Furthermore, it is appropriate to briefly describe the last psychological theory forming on the basis of the psychological portrait of a client.
It is known that the character is a holistic and sustainable individual structure of person's spiritual life, its type and the temper of the person, revealed in the single acts and states of his mental life, as well as in his manners, habits and mentality. Character of the person determines the reasons for his behaviour. Character traits are those essential features of a person with certain logic and internal sequence that follow a single behaviour line, single actions and the other actions that are excluded as incompatible, contradicting to them. The character of person is both the premise and the result of his actual behaviour; character traits not only determine the motives of person’s behaviour, but themselves are caused by them; the needs, interests, aptitudes, tastes, personal opinions, beliefs and installations are what the character is revealedin.
Basic character traits become character accentuations in case of their high expressiveness. In the theory of character accentuations ten basic character accentuations of a person are distinguished (Leonhard, 1981; Leonhard, 1964): hyperthymic, anxious, dysthymic, pedantic, excitable, emotive, sticking, demonstrative, cyclothymiacs and ecstatic. For example, hyperthymic type is characterized by a slightly elevated good mood, sociability, volubility and optimism. This type has high vitality and a great amount of energy. It is active and often tends to be the leader, easily adaptable in unfamiliar surroundings. However, the representative of hyperthymic type can not be called stress-resistant, legible in acquaintances, sustainable in his interests, easily tolerating enforced solitude, prone to uniformity, adherent to discipline and having a positive attitude towards a repetitive work. It is important to develop the algorithm of work with clients having different character accentuations.
The details of the clients segmentation based on the theory of character accentuations
The algorithm of work with clients having different character accentuations
In our view, the algorithm of work with clients having different character accentuations is based on three basic steps that the personal agents have to make. Firstly, the aim is to identify a character accentuation of a particular client using visual diagnostics to perform a segmentation of clients. The next aim is to enter the result obtained to the client database for the reliable safekeeping of information, the possibility of its adjustment and use in the future. Thirdly, it needs to demonstrate the desirable behaviour model in a personal contact with a client.
It is necessary to identify the main external signs of clients having different character accentuations for qualitative segmentation of clients using visual diagnostics. The main external signs of ten types were determined on the base of the studied literature about character accentuations of a person (Leonhard, 1981; Leonhard, 1964; Lichko, 1983) and presented below (Table
Thus, the main external signs of clients of various types have are presented by describing the features of their communication and behaviour, positive and negative character traits, clothing, facial mimicry, gestures and speech. This information will be useful to personal agents for performing qualitative visual diagnostics to identify character accentuations of a client. It should be mentioned that the obtained information should be listed to the client database. There have been remained a question about how sellers should demonstrate a desired behaviour model in personal contact with a client having certain character accentuations. To solve this problem one must develop specific recommendations for work with clients having different character accentuations.
Conclusion
We offer the following recommendations for work with hyperthymic, anxious, dysthymic, pedantic, excitable, emotive, sticking, demonstrative, cyclothymic and ecstatic types that are based on the researches devoted to character accentuations (Leonhard, 1981; Leonhard, 1964; Lichko, 1983).
Recommendations for work with a client of hyperthymic type: it needs to aspire to be always in a good mood, high spirits and with a smile on face when communicating with the client; to show sociability, openness and interest to the words of the client; to allow the client to be the leader in relationship and to be in the spotlight; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: optionality, irresponsibility, carelessness, fickleness and irritability; to remember that the client can initiate into conflicts.
Recommendations for work with a client of anxious type: it needs to aspire to be discreet, responsive and moderately active; to show the utmost friendliness while performing the communication; to take a leading role in the relationship with the client; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: shyness, uncertainty, fearfulness, anxiety and a minor mood; to offer safe-to-use products tested by other clients.
Recommendations for work with a client of dysthymic type: it needs to aspire to be laconic, moderately emotional and discreet; to show an ethical position in the process of communication with the client; to take a leading role in a relationship; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: a tendency to depression, passivity in actions, a pessimistic mood; to remember that the client can easily come into conflicts.
Recommendations for work with a client of pedantic type: it needs to aspire to be a neat, tidy and clean person; to show patience to the client’s buying decision process, punctuality and seriousness; to take a leading role in a relationship; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: increased requirements for cleanliness and neatness, formalism, hesitancy in decision-making; to offer goods in a neatly wrapped up package and to meet in a perfectly cleaned room.
Recommendations for work with a client of excitable type: it needs to aspire to be maximally complaisant and fulfil all the requirements of the client; to show patience, sensitivity and understanding when dealing with the client; to offer "discharging" through the physical exercises on your territory; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: irritability, short temper, propensity to abuse, aggressiveness and lack of the control over his own actions; to remember that the client can initiate into conflicts.
Recommendations for work with a client of emotive type: to be aimed at building of a strong friendly relationship with the client; to show responsiveness, sincerity and humanity in the relationship with the client; to hold meetings with the client in the great outdoors, to invite to the art exhibitions and gift tickets to the movies with a happy ending; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: high sensitivity, tearfulness, soft-heartedness; to offer products, which are useful to the society and don’t harm the environment.
Recommendations for work with a client of sticking type: it needs to show courtesy and prudence in the communication in order not to cause client resentment; to take measures against the "offender" of the client and tell him about this; positively evaluate the proposals and ideas of the client, loudly and openly expressing his merit; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: touchiness, suspiciousness, vindictiveness, exactingness and vulnerability; to remember that the client can initiate into conflicts.
Recommendations for work with a client of demonstrative type: it needs to aspire to pay attention to the client's person and openly to express admiration in his address each time; to invite to the ceremonies and congratulate the customer with all the celebratory events in his life; to allow the client to be the leader in relationship and to be in the spotlight; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: selfishness, overconfidence, hypocrisy, ostentation and a propensity for intrigues; to remember that the client can initiate into conflicts.
Recommendations for work with a client of cyclothymic type: it needs to determine the state of the client and in case of elation to use recommendations for communication with hyperthymic type, while in case of a depressed mood - with dysthymic type; to be prepared for an abrupt change of a mood from the client; to seek to report only good news and to exclude sad news; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: a frequent mood swings and unpredictable behaviour; to remember that the client can easily come into conflicts in case of being in a depressed mood.
Recommendations for work with a client of ecstatic type: it needs toaspire to be sensitive to the mood of the client, to support his high sociability and talkativeness and adequately to treat stormy emotional reactions on his part; to offer participation in socially significant projects on behalf of the company; to seek to report only good news and to exclude sad news; to take into account possible negative personality or behavioural traits of the client: alarmism, a mood swings, excessive compassion, extreme sensibility; to remember that the client can come into conflict.
Thus, in conclusion it should be noted that the consideration of character accentuations of clients will allow increasing the level of subjective clients’ well-being and promote the growth of the main indicators characterizing the effectiveness of personal sales in the context of relationship marketing. It is pointed out that it is important for personal agents to be able to compile a full psychological profile of a client, based not only on the theory of character accentuations, but also on the theory of temperament, socionics theory and the theory of the thinking types (Kiseleva, Yeryomin, Yakimenko, Krakoveckaya,&Berkalov, 2016). Knowledge of the customer psychology is just a single competency in the modern universal competency model of personal agents. Modern seller should also master the other competencies to achieve high results in business.
Acknowledgements
This work was performed by the author in collaboration with Tomsk Polytechnic University within the project in Evaluation and enhancement of social, economic and emotional wellbeing of older adults under the Agreement No.14.Z50.31.0029
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Kiseleva, . S., Berkalov, S. V., Doroshenko, S. V., Khmelkova, N., Petrova, G. A., Krukova, E. M., & Karelina, A. A. (2017). The Importance of Customers’ Character Accentuations. In F. Casati, G. А. Barysheva, & W. Krieger (Eds.), Lifelong Wellbeing in the World - WELLSO 2016, vol 19. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 318-328). Future Academy. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2017.01.43