D.I.S.C. By Dan Polimino.

Chances are, if you own a business or you were ever an employee, you may have been asked to take a personality assessment. As an owner of Keller Williams Realty DTC and a partner of The Colorado Dream House Team, we often have the new recruits take a D.I.S.C. (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness) assessment test. It's a quick personality test that will tell me a lot about how someone communicates. I also get to know their likes, dislikes, and how I might relate to him or her.

After a short series of questions, the test is scored and an individual will come out either a "D," an "I," an "S," or a "C." However, it is more likely to result in a combination of two, three, or four of the personality traits. In most cases, a person tests to be dominant in one category more than another. Here is what each letter represents:
* Dominance: Direct to the point, decisive, and bottom line oriented.
* Influence: Optimistic and outgoing, often highly social.
* Steadiness: Empathetic and cooperative. Typically a team player; supportive, and helpful to others
* Conscientiousness: Concerned, cautious, and correct. These individuals are often focused on details and quality.

When I took the test, I came out as a "High D" with some "C's" on it. If you would ask my friends, I am all "D" with no "I," "S," or "C" in my gene pool. For the most part, that's accurate and reflects my personality since I am a very bottom line type of guy. So how does this apply or matter to people buying and selling homes?

We often talk about consumers making sure that they should have a good rapport with the agent they selected to represent them. My business partner Gary Lohrman and I often joke with costumers saying, "If you want a short and to the point conversation, then call Dan. If you want to talk about your day, the kids, or even the weather, then call Gary." You see, Gary is a "High I." He loves being social and that’s his DNA. In fact, if we could give each one of our customer a D.I.S.C test, we would. I am sure it would be an easier transaction for everyone because we would be able to match up the seller or buyer that best fits with either my personality or Gary's.

I know that this is not a "change the real estate market" kind of news, but it does give us great insight on how to relate to buyers and sellers so everyone has a pleasant experience. If you are a "High I" and have an agent that is a "High D," chances are, the two of you are having a tough time communicating.

Dan Polimino is an Owner/Broker with Keller Williams Realty DTC. He can be reached at dan@coloradodreamhouse.comand www.coloradodreamhouse.com/denverpost