Article 8 in The 7 Client Personality Types series
This article is part of a series on The 7 Client Personality Types: an Ethical Sales framework to help you transform every sales conversation with potential clients into a clear, kind, and meaningful connection.
This article highlights the seventh Client Personality Type: The Sincere Lead.
What if your ideal clients are already showing up — and you just need a little help to recognize them?
The Sincere Lead is the potential client we all dream of: ready, willing, and eager to work with you. They might have followed your career through social media, been impressed by your excellent work, or came to you through a glowing referral. They are actively seeking your services.
When we identify a Sincere Lead in the person we’re having a sales conversation with, it feels like a match made in heaven. You’ll know them by hearing heartfelt words like, “I know I’m ready for this next step and I’m looking forward to exploring what working together would be like.”
Think of Russian nesting dolls, how uncovering one leads to finding another. The 7 Client Personality Types are like these nesting dolls, and the Sincere Lead is the smallest doll waiting for you at the core — ripe and ready to be asked for the sale.
What’s Great About The Sincere Lead (The High Side):
The Sincere Lead is actively looking for the services you provide, and they’re open to working with you. When you recognize that you’re speaking with a Sincere Lead it’s a positive sign that this person could be an ideal client for you. The only thing left to do is find out!
What’s Challenging About Guiding The Sincere Lead (The Low Side):
The other six Client Personality Types are still inside with the Sincere Lead! Sometimes, sophisticated people-pleasing mimics the Sincere Lead; it can feel like someone is a “yes” when they’re telling you they love your services and are ready to move forward, so asking deeper questions is essential to reveal whether you are encountering an actual Sincere Lead or one of the other six Client Personality Types.
You may also feel constrained in your ability to tailor your services or make adjustments to accommodate individual preferences of the Sincere Leads, which can lead to burnout without proper self-care and boundary setting.
3 Ways to Ask for the Sale (When You’ve Identified a Sincere Lead):
Once you’ve determined you’re speaking with a Sincere Lead, here are three grounded, integrity-rich ways to invite them forward and ask for the sale:
- The Clear Path Invitation: This may sound like you saying, “Based on everything we’ve explored today, it sounds like we’d be a great fit to work together. Would you like to hear what that would look like?” This honors their readiness while still offering a moment of consent. It invites their inner leader to step forward.
- The Aligned Mirror: This may sound like you saying, “You’ve shared that you’re ready to move forward, this work feels aligned, and you are financially ready for this decision. Are you ready to take the next step and begin?” This gently mirrors their language back to them and provides a soft, affirming question that invites ownership.
- The Empowered Decision Frame: This may sound like you saying, “Since you already know this is a yes, let’s take care of the logistics. Do you have any other questions or comments before we dive in?” This reinforces that you’re committed to the next best step for them.
Sincere Leads remind us of what’s possible when alignment, timing, and integrity meet. And remember: you don’t have to chase them — you simply need to recognize them and extend a loving invitation. With all three ways to invite them into working together, an elegant way to ask is simply, “Would you like to work together?” When a Sincere Lead says a clear, “Yes,” it leads to developing a heartfelt and confident professional relationship.
The more you practice identifying which of The 7 Client Personality Types you’re talking to in any given sales conversation, the more Sincere Leads you’ll attract… and the easier your business becomes.
An important reminder: Every potential client holds all 7 Client Personality Types within them (and so do we!). What you first encounter may shift into another as the conversation unfolds — and that’s part of the beauty. Stay curious, ask thoughtful questions, and let each type reveal itself in time as you guide the conversation. Whether they evolve into a Sincere Lead or not, your goal is always the same: co-create clarity with care and consent.
Explore other articles in the 7 Client Personality Types series:
- The Secret to Making Sales Conversations Fun and Effective
- How to Ground the Dreamer Client and Make the Sale
- Turning Window-Shoppers Into Referral Sources
- The Vampire Client: How to Give Without Getting Drained
- Why Some of the Best Clients Are Also Salespeople
- Build Trust, Not Pressure: The Secret to Selling to Skeptics
- Turn Intuitive Clients Into Reliable, Aligned Buyers
- The Nesting Doll Secret to Spotting Dream Clients
Marla Mattenson
With a 25+ year career, Mattenson is a trailblazer in transforming sales paradigms from transactional to relational for professionals who prioritize the integrity & fulfillment of their services. She is a champion of consent-based sales.
www.instagram.com/marla.mattenson
