TURN ‘REDS’ INTO GOLD: FIND CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS
by Michael Lovas
The woman on the right derives great joy from her mental and physical activities. She’s a “Red.” She’s also known as Creator, Artisan, Expressive, Influencing, Strategizer, Artist, Sanguine, Artisan, and Aesthetic.
The Red has several horizontal or parallel lines across her forehead from raising her eyebrows in excitement and saying, “Wow!” She’s expressing interest and excitement. I call them the “Roy Rogers lines.” The actor/comedian, Chris Rock, has this face.
Look at these faces. Is there any question that these people will deliver something unexpected? In a meeting, they surely gesture boldly and expressively with their hands and use their voices like musical instruments.
She values creative solutions and craves attention. She has a short attention span and tends to act impulsively. Show her a spreadsheet and her eyes will probably glaze over. She’ll be easy to motivate; just compliment her creativity and make her feel as though she’s the center of attention. What’s more, she’ll follow you anywhere if you laugh at her jokes.
That’s a two-way street. Typically, when a Red makes a presentation, it will be one you won’t soon forget. Here’s an example: two years ago, I delivered a one-hour presentation to the Central California Association of Health Underwriters. A few months ago, they called me and invited me to deliver the main keynote at their annual conference. The person calling said that the board of directors is still talking about how much fun the first presentation was, and they want me to come back and do it again!
Walking into a Red’s office will show you one of the most disorganized environments on the planet. That’s because to a Red, organization is a need, not a want, -- and the Red is driven by wants. She’s also probably a visually oriented person. That means she has to see what she’s working on. Files can’t be in a drawer in a cabinet because they’re not in sight. For Reds, “out of sight, out of mind” holds true. If you’re making a presentation to her, keep everything in plain view.
On the practical side, this person will look for creative ways to use established procedures. This sometimes upsets traditionalists. If she finds a difficult procedure, the Red will probably invent an easier way to do it. She’ll come up with new procedures to improve every system, but she won’t want to follow them. Reds reject ideas that most people would pay a fortune for. She’ll simply see the flaws in them and quickly see the solutions. Reds display these values:
- Freedom
- Physical Movement
- Connection
- Self-Expression
- Courage and Boldness
- Variety
- Creativity
Relevance in Sales
Reds are superb communicators. Because most sales and marketing literature is written in “fluff-talk,” Reds will be disgusted and begin to edit your brochures as they read them. Making a presentation to them requires you to hold their attention. This can be a daunting task, because Reds will automatically begin to think of ways to improve on your performance. Use visuals and keep it lively. Continue to remind them how your product is relevant to them.
Relevance in management
Reds tend to be proactive. They don’t like to waste time and they feel uncomfortable when forced into a passive role. So, give them something interesting or challenging to do. Whether they’re trouble-shooting, inventing solutions, or creating new alternatives to business situations, the Red will always add a different twist. If your firm requires employees to follow specific procedures to the letter, don’t hire Reds – you might get more than you bargained for. If you’re looking for better and more effective ways to do things, hire Reds and give them the freedom to do what they do best. Chances are, no one else in your company will be able to do that kind of job. Reds possess some or all of these characteristics:
- Bold and imaginative
- Positive attitude
- Kinesthetic
- Visual
- Creative
- Excellent communicator
- Needs variety
- Introspective & reflective
- Improvisational
- Spontaneous
- Fun loving
- Non-judgmental & open-minded
- Focuses more on broad concepts than on specific facts
- Adventuresome
- Risk taking
- Resilient; great endurance
- Seeks purpose in their lives
- Flexible & adaptable
- Inspiring
Combinations
If he has the Roy Rogers lines on his forehead, but his eyes show control instead of passion, you’re looking at someone who enjoys power and wears it naturally. The combination of control and creativity is often found in entrepreneurs, as well as the upper ranks of the military or law enforcement.
If he has compassion lines around his eyes, you’ll be looking at one of the most amiable people you’ll ever meet. This is likely to be a self-development coach or consultant. If she has a vertical line between her eyebrows, you’ll be looking at one of the deepest creative thinkers alive. She’s probably a writer o keynote speaker and perhaps an author.
Michael Lovas is the president of AboutPeople (Colbert, WA, a firm that uses Psychological Language Patterns to develop marketing programs. A Master Practitioner of Neuro-linguistic Programming, he teaches financial advisors how to use common-sense psychology to help build trust with A-level target markets. He has written twelve books, mainly on professional communication in the financial industry Michael also holds the distinction of creating “Credibility Marketing” in 1991. For more information, call (509) 465-5599, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.aboutpeople.com.