I thought our class discussion on the different personality types as they relate to sales was very interesting. It is the norm to think of extroverts are typically better at sales because sales is such a social activity, but I looked up an article to see why introverts may actually be better sales people. I think it is too easy to say that the best salespeople are those who strike a balance between the two- an ambivert. Nearly every job is probably best performed by someone with “a balance.” I was curious about just comparing the two extremes- introverts and extroverts, and seeing which tendency lends itself better to sales. As we mentioned in class, why an extrovert may be good at sales is fairly obvious, so here is an article (or maybe someone’s more personal blog) that made some good points on why introverts can make great salesmen too!
The points made were as follows:
- Introverts tend to know their products better, and can tend to be more aware of the potential for their product to ACTUALLY help the prospective customer.
- Introverts do more presentation preparation and anticipate to answer the “out-there” questions. Since it is less natural for introverts to speak to a group, they often will prepare more intensely.
- Introverts see the long-term value of the customer more easily. Because of their inward nature, introverts typically have less casual acquaintances than extroverts do; this causes them to view the customer fundamentally different.
True or false, these are some interesting points, and they put sales in a different perspective for me- an introvert.
BoweryJE22
I agree I think introverts can be just as good or better sales people than extroverts. often when people think of the “typical salesperson” they think of an overly friendly person who can be seen as “cheesy” or “fake.” However, an introvert does not fit the typical mold of a salesperson which is actually a huge advantage. I think people tend to trust people who are more introverted because they come as more introspective and considerate at times.
As an extrovert myself, comparing between the two personalities has been an eye-opening experience for me. There are certainly some qualities of introverts that I feel would be helpful for me to learn. I liked how you pointed out that having a balance between the two may be best. I’ve been increasingly becoming more aware of the fact that ambiverts tend to be the most profitable salespeople.