In light of our conversation in class the other day about the different between introverted, extroverted, and ambiverted (is that a word?) salespeople, I thought it would be interesting to find some other sources’ opinions on the subject. I found an interesting article by Lead Forensics that focused on this topic.
The article basically shared the same ideas as we heard in class – typically (of course this doesn’t apply to every person), extroverts tend to talk more and, as a result, listen less. While this might not always be a positive trait, extroverts are also typically very outgoing and friendly, and it’s easy for them to carry on a conversation. The article said that 96% of managers display extrovert characteristics, which is an overwhelming majority.
On the other hand, introverts tend to talk much less. This can be good in that they are allowing the customer to explain their wants and needs. But, it can be dangerous when they salespeople aren’t talking at all because they’re not offering any solution to the problem. This article says that 69% of customers want salespeople to listen to their needs above all else, so this is a quality that can make introverts good salespeople.
in between extroverts and introverts are the ambiverts. These people tend to have a good balance between allowing the customer to talk and talking themselves. According to the article i cited, “ambivert personalities in sales average a revenue-per-hour of $208, whereas those who were either extrovert or introvert made between $115-$127 per-hour.” Clearly this statistic shows that someone who can find a balance between talking and listening will be much more successful with sales. No matter where you land on the scale of introversion and extroversion, anyone who can learn these skills has tapped into the secret of sales.
BoweryJE22
I will be honest, I have never heard of the word “ambivert” prior to our class and I can definitely see myself categorized as one. My behaviors typically depend on the environment that I’m in, so I’ve never classified myself as introvert or extrovert based on how I can switch between the two based on the situation I’m in. Great writing!
It seems that perhaps the most important thing for sales people to know is where they fall on the scale from introverted to extraverted. Depending on where they land on that scale, they should adjust themselves accordingly.
I’m an introvert, but I often find myself talking more than is conducive to good sales. I think it’s a common misunderstanding that introverts “aren’t talkative.” We are, but it has to be on a subject we care about and with a person we are comfortable around. Introverts don’t dislike talk, but many of us despise small talk.
Similar to other people, I had never heard of the word “ambivert” before this class. I think it should be a more frequently used word because I know when I am talking to someone and we talk about being extroverts or introverts someone always says “I’m in the middle,” which I know now is an ambivert. I think being an ambivert is a lot more common than people think because I feel like there are less extreme introverts/extroverts and a lot more that are in the middle!