🤝

Understanding Communication Styles for Trust

Apr 17, 2025

Lecture Notes: Connecting in Color - Building Trust and Influence Through Communication

Introduction

  • Presenter: Sean Wafer
  • Host: Dave Malone
  • Event: Executive Forum
  • Background: Sean Wafer is a notable sales training and communications consultant.
  • Focus: Improving interpersonal skills, building trust, and influencing people.

Key Concepts

Communication in Leadership and Sales

  • Leadership and sales are interconnected through communication.
  • External Stakeholders: Building relationships to drive revenue.
  • Internal Stakeholders: Building connections to execute company productivity.

Building Trust

  • Different levels of trust in relationships.
  • Importance of building rapport to create high-trust, influential relationships.

Methodology - "Connecting in Color"

  • Basis: Sean's book, "The Highly Trusted Advisor."
  • Trust and influence achieved by understanding different personality types and communication preferences.

Historical Context

Origins

  • 2,500 Years Ago: Hypocrates' theory of four primary behavioral types based on inner fluids.
  • Four Types:
    • Red (Choleric): Competitive, action-oriented.
    • Yellow (Sanguine): Sociable, enthusiastic.
    • Green (Phlegmatic): Harmonious, loyal.
    • Blue (Melancholic): Analytical, orderly.

Modern Adaptation

  • Modern psychology associates traits and values with these colors.
  • Color Model: Intuitive and easy to apply for identifying communication preferences.

Personality Types and Communication

Red (Warrior Type)

  • Traits: Competitive, demanding, confident, task-focused.
  • Communication Style: Direct, concise, focused on control, ambition, power.
  • Challenges: Can be overly direct or aggressive.

Yellow (Influencer Type)

  • Traits: Sociable, dynamic, persuasive, people-focused.
  • Communication Style: Engaging, enthusiastic, auditory processors.
  • Challenges: Can be indecisive or overly expressive.

Green (Healer Type)

  • Traits: Caring, loyal, service-oriented, introverted.
  • Communication Style: Kinesthetic, prefers harmony, detailed.
  • Challenges: Avoids conflict, can be withdrawn.

Blue (Scholar Type)

  • Traits: Analytical, orderly, task-focused.
  • Communication Style: Detailed, structured, introverted.
  • Challenges: Can be indecisive, seen as reserved.

Working with Different Personality Types

Recognizing and Adapting

  • Importance of recognizing personality types and flexing communication styles to build trust.
  • Extroverts: Reds and Yellows, task or people-focused.
  • Introverts: Greens and Blues, detail or logic-focused.

Building Effective Teams

  • Diverse teams with a mix of personality types are more effective.
  • Balance: Utilize strengths of different types for successful teamwork and leadership.

Practical Application

Preparing for Meetings

  • Send information in advance to accommodate Greens and Blues.
  • Recognize rapport leaders and adapt style to engage effectively.

Flexibility in Communication

  • Adapt speech pace and style based on individual preferences.
  • Recognize primary and secondary color influences in individuals.

Conclusion

  • Key Takeaway: Effective communication and relationship building through understanding personality types.
  • Contact: Sean Wafer available on LinkedIn for further engagement.

These notes capture the essence of Sean Wafer's session on understanding different communication styles to build trust and influence effectively. The concepts of personality types, recognizing communication preferences, and adapting styles are central to effective leadership and team collaboration.

Full transcript