Connect with prospects by using AI to reveal their personalities

In a virtual world, it’s much more difficult to get to know people and build rapport. Yet we are in a relationship business. I’ve been in the profession for more than 18 years, and during that time, social media has really exploded. In the early years, I learned that LinkedIn really is a business profile, and Facebook is more of a personal platform. So, I would try to connect with my prospects the day before a meeting or after the meeting through LinkedIn. That helped me stay in touch, so the next time we meet I would be able to ask better questions.

The more that things have gone virtual, the less opportunity there is to be across the table from each other, which makes it harder to know that prospect. But Crystal can tell me how to approach that person and suggest questions to engage them.

Crystal in practice

When you open Crystal Knows, it connects to LinkedIn. You put in the name of the person you’re going to be meeting, and Crystal calls up their LinkedIn profile. This is telling me that the prospect is an initiator: spontaneous, bold and dynamic. The way to communicate with him is to be casual and fast paced in your speech. Focus more on high-level summaries than on deep diving on specific questions. Speak with high energy, and answer questions directly. Don’t focus on risk or downside; prioritize potential upside. Don’t give in-depth product descriptions without explaining the bottom-line impact.

In short, Crystal shows me where I am and where the prospect is. If I’m a dominant personality and he’s a dominant personality, I need to know that to communicate with him effectively. 

This was excerpted from the July/August 2025 Round the Table article, “Connect with prospects by using AI to reveal their personalities.”