Group 2B. Personality Type B.
Question 21. A young man worked in a sawmill where they moved materials from one floor to another. They used a hoist that crashed every time the power went out. He had an idea to install a braking system held open when the power was on and clamped shut when the power went out. His idea was a flop, and no one was interested. If this young man was a B-type, what would he do:
a. Continue working in the sawmill and wait for people to come to him.
b. Open a booth at the upcoming World’s Fair and hand out brochures.
c. Build a demonstration model of his elevator to display at the upcoming World’s Fair.
d. Give up on his idea.
Answer: Elisha Otis chose (c). He added some excitement to the demonstration. He selected volunteers out of the audience to ride on his elevator. When the elevator reached the top, he suddenly pulled out a machete and severed the lifting rope. The people on the platform screamed as the elevator dropped 6 inches and stopped. A week later, hundreds of orders came flying in. He formed a company called Otis Elevator Company.
Can you spot the effects of emotions in advertising an idea? A revolutionary invention without sales has little value.
Question 22. Beth, a successful actress, negotiates with a movie studio. She nailed the audition, and the executives want her over all others. Many years earlier, she had posed nude for a magazine that never published her photos. She wants to be paid more than any other actress for bragging rights. You are an executive of the movie studio, and you know Beth has a B-type personality. Which of the following would be the best sentence to begin the negotiations?
a. “We had several people try out, and we would like to offer you a fair commission.”
b. “We loved your audition and your enormous popularity. However, we are concerned about the effect of those photos on your popularity. “
c. “Why are you interested in this part?”
d. “Your last movie did not do well at the box office. We will offer you 80% of your last movie’s contract price.”
Answer: “c.” The best negotiation tool in a business transaction is to silence or let the other person speak. The actress is a ‘B-Type’ and will want to talk. Giving her all the time, she needs will usually reveal details that can be used against her. Proposed sentence (a) may be viewed by the actress that the studio is not interested. She may have other job offers, and this could result in no contract. Proposed sentence (b) will be viewed negatively and requires great care. It would be best to let her bring it up. For example, ask her what she did in her early 20’s when the photos were taken. Proposed sentence (d) is too negative when done out of the starting blocks. This statement should be made at the end of a negotiation and not the beginning. It could result in the actress getting up and walking out.
This is only one potential answer. Write down other starting sentences that you would use. Ask yourself, what are the benefits? And then ask yourself, what are the detriments? There are always detriments to every benefit, and there are always benefits to every detriment.
Question 23. Paula, a friend of John, a B-type, has been blocked on a social media site by a mutual friend, Fred, who is intolerant to all political views contrary to his own. John wants to continue to be friends with both of them. Which of the following recommendations are likely to come from John:
a. For all three of them to meet for coffee and decide who will be excluded from the group.
b. Makes a reservation at a comedy venue for all three for a fun night out.
c. Sends out a cartoon showing all three on a bridge, ready to bungee jump and fighting over who goes first. Embroidered on each jacket is the phrase, “Friends for Life.”
d. Ignores the conflict and waits for the problem to resolve itself.
Answer: (b) and (c). Comedy is used to reduce stress for all personality types. But the B-types also use comedy to cultivate friendships. There is no need to discuss the blocking problem as the pleasure of the company will likely override the dispute. If Paula and Fred talk about it while having a great time, the chances for a mutual resolution are high. The cartoon is an example of B-type creating humor to cement friendships.
Suggested answer (a) is contrary to the “having friends” trait as is (d). Doing nothing does not create or nourish friendships.
Practice Session. Think of a cartoon you could create about a couple of your friends or co-workers, showing how much they mean to you. Wouldn’t it be fun to see their response?
Question 24. This question is repeated for each personality type to see how the answers may differ. A news report flashes across the television screen. Scientists have stated that eating red meat causes increased blood pressure, and many will die. We urge everyone to stop buying red meat if you are a B-type personality, which comments or opinions would be the most likely.
a. Observe how confident the announcer appeared in presenting the report.
b. Comment on a great broadcast with the public health theme.
c. Think that the newscaster should have urged people to stop “eating” red meat rather than saying stop “buying” it. It implies that if meat were free, it would be okay to eat.
d. Praise the word “die” as emotional and very effective.
e. Criticize the use of the word “urge” as ineffective. It would have been stronger if the announcer used the phrase: “We must boycott meat markets immediately to save humanity.”
Answer: All of them. These are typically hidden messages that a B-type would detect and consider to improve the effectiveness of alternate wording. All of these answers relate to interactions between people. B-types know that emotions are the driving force behind motivation.
Question No 25. You read a nasty, false comment about a personal friend, a B-type personality, on a social media site. What would you do?
a. Do not say anything because you want to protect the friend from being hurt.
b. Tell the friend about the comment and tell them that the person who posted the comment is a terrible person.
c. Tell your friend about the post, giving them enough information to locate the comment.
d. Reply to the comment directly and say that everything they said is a lie.
Answer: (C). Honesty is the dominant trait of a B-type, which requires truth and fairness. Honesty is not limited to only good news.
Suggested action (a) would be proper for an acquaintance but not a personal friend. Suggested action (b) is risky since your statement about the other person being terrible may be false. Suggested action (d) is not a good idea since that step is for your friend to take. You will rarely know all of the facts. For example, maybe the person was your friend’s cousin, and the cousin just experienced a traumatic event.
Practice Session. List at least one more action that you would add to the list. Try and think of something positive since a negative step is too apparent.
Question 26. This question type is repeated for each personality type to see how the answers may differ. A husband of a B-type wife wants to know if his wife loves him after ten years of marriage. He devises the following scheme to measure her love.
a. He lists at least 10 great things about why he loves her.
b. He has a friend send his wife an email advertising sex toys that are guaranteed to spice up any marriage and waits to see any reaction.
c. He hides a brochure in his truck that describes a 2-week vacation in Tahiti and waits to see how long it takes her to ask about Tahiti.
d. He brings her flowers and takes her out to a nice dinner for no special reason or occasion to waits to see how she responds.
Answer: (a). Listing great things about why he loves her can only bring positive actions.
Answer (b) would be acceptable if it came directly from the husband. On the other hand, it suggests an adverse condition that sex needs to be spiced up. That may not be the belief of the wife. Unfortunately, the email came from one of his friends. This will likely be interpreted as an invasion of her privacy or may be viewed as deception because it requires communication with his friend. B-types have honesty as a dominant trait, and deception is the opposite. Answer (c) would be a good idea if he hid the brochure in her car. Hiding it in his truck may be interpreted as a test to see if she invades his privacy. Even worse, she may think he will take someone else on a trip. Wrong impressions create bad results. Answer (d) would be great if there were no scheme behind it, and he ensured she did not suspect an affair. If she does not respond as he envisioned, it will disappoint him. That disappointment would creep up at some point. If she asks why he was giving her these gifts, and he says there is no reason, then he just lied. When she discovers the truth, it will be viewed as a violation of her honesty trait.
Question 27. During a social dinner at a country club with friends, Tom does not allow others to speak, except in response to his questions, which of the reactions would Kathy, a B-type, use to interrupt the conversation.
a. Interrupt Tom and tell him that the topic is fascinating and you would like to talk more about the subject after dinner.
b. Pick out a word or phrase that Tom had mentioned, and ask someone else at the table about a topic relevant to that word or phrase while recognizing Tom for his great incite in raising the issue.
c. Nudge Tom to the end of his story by asking, “So what did you conclude?” or “What ultimately happened?”
d. Ask Tom a question on a related topic that skews the conversation in another direction.
Answer: All of the above. This situation is encountered by everyone all the time. Any of the above techniques will work. To get Tom to pause to give you an entrance point, look at his eyes and open your mouth about an inch. It will look like you want to say something, and he will likely oblige with a pause.
For those who are talkers, this is for you. For those who are not, do something. If you cannot think of anything, do an internet search and see if you can find one that applies specifically to your group of friends. Be polite since having a few talkers are better than everyone sitting around the table in silence.
Question 28. Helen was a flight attendant for ten years, followed by a sales manager for the airline airfreight division for an additional five years. A downturn in the airline industry caused her to be laid off. What should Helen do as a B-type personality?
a. Call her friends and ask if they have heard of any job openings.
b. Go back to school and significant in her life-long dream of being an actress.
c. Collect unemployment benefits until they are exhausted before looking for another job.
d. Contact numerous sales companies and let them know she has experience in dealing with ten’s of thousands of members of the general public and has managed hundreds of people in the airline industry. Her expertise made her familiar with airport security, product handling, airport distribution, and personal relationships with people in every state. If a product goes through an airport, she knows the ins and outs and the people that can make it happen.
e. Form her own company, lease airplanes for product transportation, and negotiate with the people you know in the air freight business to handle their overflow distribution.
Answer: (a) and (d). As a B-type, Helen would have many friends and hundreds if not thousands of followers on social media sites. It only takes one person to open the door to a new opportunity. Having valuable experiences is always a great asset. B-types have skills in selling and making friends. Once Helen meets with a prospective employer, she can use those skills to close the deal.
Action (b) fits with the dreamer trait, but that should be done when there is a stable income source. Action (c) involves using unemployment benefits as a reason to avoid looking for a job. Refusing to consider an opportunity is not a positive attribute of any personality type. Action (d) may not be the time to organize her own company unless she has a large nest egg. Needing money is a significant weakness in business negotiations. Ambition and aggressiveness are traits more associated with A-types. Therefore, if this path is selected, Helen should consider hiring an experienced A-type person.