Language patterns as the secret to success in job advertisements

As the consulting firm Deutsches Institut für Vertriebskompetenz DIV has now discovered, you can increase the number of suitable applicants many times over if you use different language patterns in the job advertisement to address exactly the applicants you want to have in the company. Until now, the system of language patterns has mainly been used for communication between salespeople and customers, but now it can also be used to find suitable applicants for vacancies.

Because we're all familiar with this situation: with some people you're immediately on the same wavelength, but with others you just don't warm to them. You can try as hard as you like. Every day at work, you have to deal with someone who is very similar to you or with someone who is completely different to you.

In job advertisements and interviews, it is therefore important to speak the right language in order to get the applicant interested in the company. To do this, it is necessary to list different arguments for one and the same job for different interested parties and to formulate them in such a way that they fit into the other person's world of thought and imagination. By picking up on language patterns that the applicant also uses and retaining these in the job advertisement, you can not only conjure up concrete images in the mind of your potential employee, but also generate trust and sympathy - one of the most important foundations for a successful job interview.

The experts at the German Institute for Sales Competence (DIV) have been studying language patterns in the professional environment for many years. A distinction is made between four basic types:

• The dominant type (red) is very pragmatic, success- and result-oriented, decisive and determined and wants to reach his goal as quickly as possible. He appreciates clear announcements without wasting time. The "red" type gets straight to the point in conversations and talks more than he listens.
• The initiative type (yellow) is more emotionally driven. He is open, positive, creative and likes to talk. He can be quickly inspired by something and focuses on fun and enjoyment. He also has a pronounced sense of aesthetics. He does not like to deal with sober facts and figures.
• The steady type (green) is very understanding, compassionate and patient. He values reliability, security and consistency. He weighs up his purchasing decisions very carefully. The green type likes to listen, speaks less himself and rarely deviates from his opinion.
• The fact-oriented type (blue) is characterized by his level-headed and analytical approach. He likes to ask for evidence for statements and information and also checks them again himself.