In a nutshell what people are like and what people want

The choleric person has a strong personality and wants control. The sanguine person has a bright personality and wants fun. The melancholy person is sensitive and wants perfection. The phlegmatic person will follow to achieve peace. 

“Design addresses itself to the need.”  
Charles Eames

Choleric achiever wants control
The achiever (choleric) and the talker (sanguine) tend to be extroverts and optimists. The easy going one (phlegmatic) and the deep thinker (melancholy) tend to be introverts and pessimists. Choleric and melancholy people are task orientated and the sanguine and phlegmatic tend to be people orientated.   

How can this information help you sell your design ideas?
If we understand what people are like and what they want we can tailor our design presentations into a sellable package. Choleric’s like a quick outline of the design ideas don’t bog them down with details. It pays to refer back to their suggestions. The melancholy person likes detailed comprehensive plans, they want to know everything. They like graphs and time lines. Be prepared to answer questions.


A sample board created at Sample Board Online will appeal to the achiever, talker and phlegmatic

Phlegmatic easy going one wants peace
The phlegmatic and sanguine like to be treated with friendliness and treated as a personal friend. Make sure the presentation is presented in a light easy way. Be prepared to reassure the phlegmatic they often need to be reassured. They prefer statements with ‘we’ instead of you or ‘i’. They like to think they are working as part of a team.

Sanguine talker wants fun
With the sanguine it pays to keep the presentation fun and interesting. They can get bored with the details. They respond well to images. They tend to make impulsive choices.  Choleric are decisive and make quick decisions. If there is a problem they prefer to know as soon as possible. It is important to have a solution to the problem before approaching them. They dislike long stories as to how the problem occurred.  

The detailed specification sheet created with the sample board at Sample Board Online will appeal to the melancholy 



Melancholy deep thinker wants perfection     
With the melancholy if there is a problem they like to know all the details. Why this problem occurred. They need a detailed account of how you are going to solve this problem. The phlegmatic and sanguine will respond to an honest friendly approach when problems occur. It pays to earn their trust by creating relationship and to keep their trust in the same. 

Last year I worked on a design project with a couple with different personality styles. This is not unusual.  The gentleman was a choleric and lady a melancholy. This meant the gentleman wanted short meetings with quick outlines. The lady wanted detailed information about the project. I over came this problem by having short appointments with the gentleman and lady. Then I would give the lady a written detailed report. This worked very well.

I hope this mini series on the personalities has been of some benefit. It is a fascinating topic. The information can be helpful as a guide to human relations. There is always something new to discover in the wonderful world of people and design. I know I never stop learning. 
     

I’ll finish this blog with a wee joke. My family has lived in Australia for over 30 years. Ever few months my Dad would received a copy of the magazine Ireland’s Own. I love to read it. It is full of stories, words of songs and jokes.


Boss to secretary: ‘I know you can’t get married on the wages I pay you, but someday you’ll thank me for it’