The stereotypical salesperson is talkative, persuasive, driven, and outgoing. In other words, extraverted. But is the stereotype right? What if the most successful salespeople are actually introverts?
I’ve suspected this may be true for a long time, but now there’s data to support it.
Objective Management Group (OMG), a Membrain partner, conducts over 75,000 assessments per year and has assessed more than 2.3 million salespeople. As a result, they own one of the largest and most in-depth sales industry data sets in the world.
So when OMG’s founder, Dave Kurlan, says there’s new insights available, I pay attention. Recently on LinkedIn, Kurlan announced this “shocking new data”:
“62% of the best salespeople in the world (top 5%) are introverts and 84% of the worst salespeople in the world (bottom 10%) are extroverts.”
Why Introverts Make Better Salespeople
In the same post, Kurlan says the “easy answer” to why introversion shows up so much in the top 5% of sales professionals is that introverts find it easier to take a consultative approach, “because they are so comfortable listening.”
Salespeople who succeed are those willing to dig in and learn everything they need to learn to do the job well.
I think this is especially true in complex B2B sales, where salespeople must be able to navigate complexity and stay focused over long periods of time to win the sale.
The stereotype that salespeople have to be “fast talkers” goes against the reality that the best complex B2B salespeople are those who ask good questions and listen well. Additionally, they need to:
- Build trust through understanding and keeping promises
- Care as much about the client’s success as their own
- Stay focused on a project past the initial rush of “first contact”
- See through external stimuli of a prospect’s excitement and enthusiasm to the reality of their situation
- Stick to a sales process (tied to a decision-making journey) and repeat it over time
While extroverts can certainly be capable of all these things, the introspective, quieter personality of an introvert may make it easier to do so.
Why Introverts DON’T Make Better Salespeople
OMG’s data is a compelling argument for introversion in sales. However, it doesn’t say that ONLY introverts can succeed. After all, if 62% of top performing salespeople self-identify as introverts, that means 38% do not.
In reality, personality plays only a small part in sales success. It’s one of the truly great things about this profession: Anyone can do it if they want to badly enough, because salespeople are made, not born.
Of course having a general inclination to do the sorts of things that salespeople have to do helps, but ultimately it’s a profession in which the work and commitment you put in matters more than where you came from or the personality you bring to the table.
To become an outstanding complex B2B sales professional, individuals must master a broad range of skills including:
They must also develop resilience, persistence, and the willingness to be turned down and rejected over and over.
Being introverted might make a person more willing to stay in the business for the long haul, and it might make it easier for them to listen deeply and not make things about themselves.
But in the end, the salespeople who truly succeed in this business are those who are willing to dig in and learn everything they need to learn to do the job well. And whether they succeed has less to do with what they were born with, and more to do with what they choose to develop along the way.
What do you think? Do introverts have an advantage in complex B2B sales? What’s been your experience?
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FAQs
After all, if 62% of top performing salespeople self-identify as introverts, that means 38% do not. In reality, personality plays only a small part in sales success. It's one of the truly great things about this profession: Anyone can do it if they want to badly enough, because salespeople are made, not born.
Do introverts make good salespeople? ›
Introverts often shine when it comes to soft skills, which can be an enormous advantage in sales. These skills can be taught or improved but come much more naturally to sales team members who lean more introverted. They're absolutely critical to building strong, lasting relationships with customers.
Can generally speaking introverted people be good professional sellers? ›
Introverted salespeople are often more effective in handling pressure and the rapid nature of change in sales situations. Although they are not usually comfortable in bigger group settings or hostile sales environments, they are strategic at solving problems and helping clients.
Do introverts make good employees? ›
Introverted employees can be valuable assets to any team. Although they may not be the ones to speak up and dominate a conversation or meeting, introverted employees often bring unique perspectives and strengths to the table. For instance, introverted employees are often excellent listeners and observers.
Can a shy person be a salesperson? ›
Introverts can perform equally as well as extroverts in a sales role – however there are industries that are more aligned with an introvert's inherent strengths.
Why are introverts better at sales? ›
Why Introverts Make Better Salespeople. In the same post, Kurlan says the “easy answer” to why introversion shows up so much in the top 5% of sales professionals is that introverts find it easier to take a consultative approach, “because they are so comfortable listening.”
Are introverts successful in business? ›
They are skilled at long-term planning, identifying trends, and developing innovative solutions to complex problems. For these reasons, introverts often excel in strategic roles, making them well-suited for leadership positions. Creativity and Innovation: Many introverts have rich inner worlds and imaginations.
Is sales hard for introverts? ›
While introverted salespeople have many strengths that can help them succeed, they may also face some challenges. For example, introverts may find it difficult to make cold calls or network at large events. However, there are ways to adapt these tasks to their strengths.
What do introverts value the most? ›
Introverts value others' perspectives. They keep their egos in check, and they don't take risks without thinking them through.
Why most successful people are introverts? ›
Research shows that highly creative people in both artistic and scientific fields are often introverted. Cain's explanation is that most introverts are comfortable with solitude, or being alone, which is a key component because solitude turns out to be a real catalyst to creativity.
However, being an introvert at work comes with its own challenges as well. They often need to recharge after social interactions, can seem aloof, and can get drowned out in meetings.
Why quiet quitting? ›
Employees not feeling that their work has any purpose or direction is one of the key drivers of quiet quitting. One of the most effective ways of dealing with it (or preventing it altogether) is to create a company culture where every employee understands the reasons behind their role.
What job should an introvert have? ›
While jobs in tech or finance are big draws for introverts, as these industries are conducive to introverted tendencies such as independent work and creative problem-solving, other non-tech roles are equally suitable for this personality type, Eva Chan, a career expert at Resume Genius, tells CNBC Make It.
Why are Ambiverts the best salespeople? ›
Because they naturally engage in a flexible pattern of talking and listening, ambiverts are likely to express sufficient assertiveness and enthusiasm to persuade and close a sale but are more inclined to listen to customers' interests and less vulnerable to appearing too excited or overconfident.
Do extroverts make better sales people? ›
Since extroverts are more outgoing and typically more aggressive you would think they would do much better than introverts. They actually do sell better than introverts but only by a few percentage points.
Why are most millionaires introverts? ›
There is a link between introversion and creativity. If you look at some of the world's preeminent inventors, writers, and entrepreneurs, most of them are introverts. That's because introverts enjoy expressing themselves creatively through their work.
