While it sounds counter-intuitive to declare introverts make the best salespeople, their characteristics may truly make them a perfect fit for the job. Introverts make up 50.7% of the personality types in the United States.
Sales jobs are expected to increase by 5% in the next decade and by 2024 there are a projected 778,000 new sales jobs to be created. What traits do industry specialists find make for a good salesperson? Assertiveness, self-awareness, empathy, problem-solving skills, and optimism.
Here is an illustrated chart of the introverted personality types shows the percentage of different introverts in the general public, along with all the trends in sales jobs, as well as a breakdown on why introverts are indeed having suitable personalities as salespeople.
Infographic courtesy of CollegeMatchup.com.
As a recap, here are the useful quality of the introverts that can potentially making them stellar salespeople:
1. Quiet and thoughtful
Why this works in sales: Quite often, customers will try to avoid the high-energy, assertive salespeople. Many introverts prefer to be helped by other introverts, so they feel their space isn’t being violated.
2. Communicate best one-on-one
Why this works in sales: Particularly in retail sales scene, introverts can better connect to customers at a personal level rathern than as a large group.
3. Form a few deep attachments rather than many, shallow friendships
Why this works in sales: Introverts can form a deeper relationship with their customers than extroverts. This lead customers to trust what they say.
4. Think Carefully before speaking
Why this works in sales: Salespeople who think carefully before they speak – and with porpose at that – tend to be more trustworthy. They’re also less likely to make a fake social connection and offend customers in the end.
5. Reflective
Why this works in sales: Introverts tend to look back on their performance and think for ways to handle a particular siuation better or differently. This self awareness quality leads to more refined skills.
Takeaway
So how are the qualities of an introvert useful in a sales setting? Well, they are often quiet and thoughtful which works well in a sales setting because customers are often put off by the high-energy assertive employees.
Introverts communicate best one-on-one, which is great for sales because they can really connect with their customers. Introverts are known to form few deep attachments rather than many, shallow friendships. This works for them in sales because they can form deeper relationships with their customers than extroverts, leading to people trusting them more.
Introverts are reflective as well, this is great for a job in sales because they are always looking back on their performance and wondering how they can do things better.
