- Awareness of your own preferred communication styles may help you in winning the confidence of your client.
- Awareness of these styles may also help you assess the preferred style of the client you are dealing with.
- If you are able to match your communication style to that of your client then the meanings related to the needs and wants on both sides will be made easier.
- Communication styles are closely related to personality types and traits – see the section on personality plus.
The responsibility vests with the consultant to make a subjective judgement as to which style and role the client is portraying, and how best to react thereto.
The next section will introduce a simple, yet intuitive model for understanding personalities and their impact on personal and interpersonal behaviour.
It is not mandatory that the prospective consultant utilise this exact model. What is important is that the consultant develop the ability to assess client preferences and adapt to specific situations intuitively and flexibly
