Introducing DiSC to your organization 

Selling “the boss” on DiSC®

Of course you‘ll want to use what you know about the DiSC style of anyone you're trying to sell to, whether it's a product or a concept. To convince someone about the value of DiSC you'll also need a story and a proposal. No matter what one's style, we all respond to a good story. We’re wired to listen to stories. And business runs on numbers. So you need both an engaging story and a solid proposal that includes expected financial investment.

Your story: Your story can be based on your own experience with DiSC or the story of another. Consider interviewing another consultant or HR trainer who has used Everything DiSC to get additional examples you can call upon. Answer these questions for yourself: Why do you want to use DiSC? What do you see as the possible outcomes? What has been your experience with DiSC?

The DiSC story: Your core message can emphasize whichever message(s) will resonate best, depending on the listener's style. Here are a few sample messages:

• DiSC is the leading personal assessment tool used by over 1 million people every year. It has a long and proven track record.
• DiSC is easily understood and memorable. This isn't a program to make everyone feel good and then go back to their desk and forget it. There are follow-up tools and information to extend the learning.
• Wiley‘s (the publisher) DiSC is well-researched and validated. You can show a copy of a research report or the Everything DiSC Manual. (See Science behind DiSC.) Remind them that it‘s important to use a scientifically-proven tool. Free tools rarely are.
• DiSC is engaging. Surveys on engagement in the workplace show rates around 30%. DiSC can help with this issue by improving communication and feedback, showing the organization's commitment to its staff, and creating more self-aware and agile employees.
• DiSC is flexible. Organizations have integrated Everything DiSC profiles into their onboarding, team development, management training, sales training, and leadership development programs.
• DiSC isn‘t just about the individual. It‘s about relationships. Each of the profiles seeks to show how we differ, but can still work effectively together.
• DiSC is about getting results. Each profile includes action or reflection items targeted towards achieving more success at working with others, managing others, leading others, or selling to others.

Your listener's story: Do you know if they have used a tool like DiSC before? What was their experience? Learn how DiSC might help them achieve their goals for the organization.

Let the holder of the purse string see what an Everything DiSC profile really looks like. If you have no budget yet, provide a copy of a sample profile. Better yet, buy an assessment and let them take it. The best results come from giving them an assessment, taking one yourself, and then sharing your Comparison Report. Discuss what they could learn from a DiSC profile.

Point out the parts of the profile you think will be most interesting to your boss.

Helpful links

Sample Everything DiSC profiles

Everything DiSC Comparison Report

Choosing the right profiles and platform

The Everything DiSC product suite offers profiles and learning experiences to support several different development needs.

If you're not sure which profile to begin with, we always recommend Everything DiSC Workplace. This is the best profile for introducing the DiSC model and language. If you have individuals with different challenges or interests, but they all need to go through training together, we recommend offering Workplace. You can use additional profiles to build upon the foundation Workplace provides.

All Everything DiSC profiles offer facilitation kits to support your training or coaching sessions.

The Workplace and Agile EQ profiles are also available on the Catalyst platform. If your organization is new to Everything DiSC, we recommend choosing this platform and using the Catalyst facilitation kit. The Catalyst platform has proven better at keeping learners engaged, and it allows them to easily compare their styles and priorities to those of their colleagues. Learners begin with a Workplace profile. The Agile EQ profile can be added later at a cost lower than what you'd pay for the traditional paper profiles.

We‘re happy to talk through options to help you select the best profiles for your unique situation and needs.

Contact us  |  Explore Everything DiSC profiles

Your proposal

You‘ll need to write a goal statement about what you want to accomplish using DiSC. Reference any needs assessment you've completed recently. Here is a small set of examples:

• Increase speed of integrating new team members
• Facilitate better communication among team members and across teams
• Develop management soft skills
• Build more effective relationships with clients
• Increase leadership skills
• Increase emotional intelligence
• Provide tools for coaching and developing staff

Include a budget estimate. Be sure to include the price of a consultant, your own certification, a facilitation kit, or other facilitation support. Also include the amount of time you anticipate the program will take for the participants.

Add a note about how the profiles created for people in the organization remain accessible to the trainer and can be used again. For example, if a department hires two new people, only those two need to take the DiSC assessment again. Their profiles can be used with the previous ones to create a new Everything DiSC Facilitator Report or unlimited free Comparison Reports. This is true even if the former employees all took the Everything DiSC Workplace profile and the new staff take Everything DiSC Sales or Everything DiSC Agile EQ.

Consider including the Cornerstone Principles for the DiSC profile you want to introduce. Attach a sample profile with a few sections highlighted. Also consider including the Everything DiSC Value Drivers brochure or reviewing it together.

Your first session

How you introduce DiSC to your organization will influence how well they receive it. Just as you shared your goals with the boss, you’ll need to share your goals with the staff. They will want to know what’s in it for them, too. And some might need reassurance that the assessment won't be something used against them in hiring or promotion decisions.

Some organizations have rolled out their DiSC programs slowly, with a small group, who then provided feedback that was shared with managers or program sponsors. That feedback was used to gain more support for the program.

Others have hosted a “lunch and learn” session to introduce the basics of DiSC, perhaps giving attendees the opportunity to take an assessment beforehand. This gives you an idea about the level of interest, plus a few attendees will share their experience, creating some internal buzz about the program.

Because of the extensive beta testing of assessments, profile reports, facilitation kits, and certifications that Wiley does before bringing products to market, we‘re confident that you can be proud to introduce any organization to Everything DiSC.