What color do you speak?

One of my various hobbies is professional development, but I never thought it would bleed into my YouTube algorithm. (That’s primarily reserved for art tutorials.)

But one day, my professional and hobby life collided with a video on my feed called “How to Talk to ANYONE (Once You Know Their Color)” by Vinh Giang, a communication coach and keynote speaker. Being in a position of leadership, I had to watch it.

Full disclosure, there’s a slight use of colorful language, but it was a neat resource for understanding how I communicate and relate to others. And if you’ve ever had an effortless conversation with someone… and an impossible talk with someone else, this theory may explain why.

The video’s theory is that each person defaults to a certain style of communication, signified by a color, either red, green, blue or yellow.

Reds are driven by power and outcomes, described as bold, decisive, competitive and results-driven.

Greens are driven by peace and stability, described as calm, supportive, reliable, patient, and averse to sudden change.

Blues are driven by logic and structure, described as precise, detail-oriented, cautious, critical thinking and perfectionistic.

Finally, yellows are driven by fun and connection, described as social, enthusiastic, talkative, creative and optimistic.

To find out what color you are boils down to three questions, according to the video, although most people can find their color in two:

1) Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

If you are an introvert, your default color will be either green or blue. If you are extroverted, it will be either red or yellow.

2) Are you more logical or emotional?

If you are more logical, your color will be either blue or red. If emotional, it will be either green or yellow.

3) Do you speak deliberately or quickly?

If you are more deliberate, you will be either blue or green. If you speak quickly, you are more likely red or yellow.

As a case study, I appear shy around new people, but I am actually an extrovert. (Either red or yellow). Then, I tend to be more emotional, so that narrows down my color to yellow. 

My husband, on the other hand, is an introvert (either green or blue), and he is more logical, so that makes him a blue.

When speaking with people of the same color, the conversation may feel more effortless. But talking to other colors may have challenges.

I relate to the creator (also a yellow.) He said that when talking to his wife (who is a red), she may become frustrated with his tangents.

For my husband and me, during my bursts of energy, I talk enthusiastically. But he needs time to filter through my billion ideas before breakfast. 

The video explains everything in great detail, but in short, learning how others communicate and tailoring your style to them can help your message land.

I need to communicate more precisely with my husband. But he knows I want to have fun, so he knows to be enthusiastic.

When I’m talking with the news team (both Owen and Sandra are greens), I lean more calm and supportive. However, as effective communicators themselves, they also know how to match my energy and adjust their style.

In essence, it’s about learning to speak all the colors. I highly recommend finding yours and learning about your coworkers, bosses, friends, and family. It could help your voice be heard and lead to better connections.

And to quote the creator: “Communication is the tide that lifts all boats. When you master this skill, your entire life rises with it.”

Check out the full video here.