One of the most useful skills I have learned while building my network marketing business is how to recognize different types of people. There are many systems for typing people including the Five Element one my horse typing system is based on.

If I were looking to develop a personal relationship I would use the Five Element typing system because I feel it gives the best insight into a person’s natural tendencies. This system gives the default pattern a person is most likely to revert to In times of stress and when there is no strong motivation to behave differently.

For business, however, there are other simpler systems that give information about how a person may approach business. The easiest system for me to relate to is the gemstone labels.

Sapphire – desires fun, is outgoing, loves people and parties, is popular and optimistic. This type person may have difficulty with follow through, record keeping and training others.

Pearl – desires perfection, loves helping others, is task oriented and pessimistic.
This type may have difficulty with marketing, decision making and risk.

Emerald – desires peace, loves to learn and create, is purpose driven and pessimistic. This type may have difficulty with being willing to make mistakes, showing emotion, and flexibility.

Ruby – Desires power and control, loves a challenge, is goal oriented and optimistic. This type may have difficulty with relating to others, listening and accepting training.

These are very brief descriptions and many people are a mix of more than one type. All types have advantages and disadvantages and all can be successful members of a strong network marketing team. Recognizing and accepting all type people has been a huge growth process for me in my network marketing and has helped me in other areas of my life as well.

As a Emerald, with some elements of Pearl and Ruby, I have to accept that I can be pessimistic. I have always thought of myself as an optimistic person but I realize now that I am optimistic with a pessimistic undertone. In other words my thought process can be something like instead of expecting the best I think I will be fine no matter what happens.

In my network marketing prospecting this can look like going into a prospecting call with the expectation the person will come away feeling positive about our interaction instead of expecting them to be excited and ready to get going. I have come to realize how my underlying temperament can hold me back but I also realize how it has kept me from making serious mistakes that could hurt my relationship with others.

I believe God gives us all a balance of traits that will take us only so far in life and to go farther he wants us to rely on him. By recognizing people’s natural types you can help them to appreciate and exploit their strengths and accept and turn over their weaknesses so they can live the abundant life God has planned for all of us. Madalyn