At one time, it might have seen an oxymoron to use the term “introverted salesperson,” but times have changed.
More than ever before, employers are seeing that selling for introverts is on the rise. The days of the back-slapping, fast-talking salesperson are gone, replaced by a sales staff that listens to the customer and tries to make sales into a pleasurable experience.
Listen
Selling for introverts is no longer an impossibility. If you’re in business, you probably have encountered a great many introverts in sales. They are the ones who are aware of what your needs are and who do everything they can to accommodate you. This is because introverts are great listeners. If you’re an introvert, focus on that skill — the better you are at listening, the better you are at sales.
Embrace creativity
Embracing creativity is another tip used to emphasize selling for introverts. Introverts are typically individuals who are content to spend a lot of time by themselves, content to work on a problem, attacking it from a variety of angles. This usually means that introverts tend to come up with unique ways of seeing a problem and solving it.
Connections
For introverts, connections are important. While an introvert might not have a thousand clients, you can be sure the clients that he or she does have are treated with respect and have a basis for a real connection. If you’re an introvert, make sure that you take the time to always keep the connections open between you and your clients. If there hasn’t been any activity on your accounts, you might want to drop a line to your clients and let them know you’re thinking of them.
Believe in the Product
If you’re an introvert, one thing that will tremendous help you in sales is believing in the product. Have you ever seen someone who is extremely shy begin to discuss something he or she is passionate about? It’s a remarkable transformation — someone previously shy is now animated and outgoing. The same thing happens when an introvert begins discussing a product or service that he or she can really get behind.
Work with Others
Sometimes, the best way to increase selling for introverts is to work with someone else. When an introvert is part of a team, there might not be a lot of input that he or she provides, but when it is provided, attention is paid to it. Introverts are great at injecting “quiet power” into a sales presentation.
As you can see, even if you’re not the life of the sales party, you have a tremendous opportunity to really shine in sales. Simply believe in yourself, believe in the product, and treat your customers with respect.
Alen Mayer is an introvert too; he is one of the top Sales Trainers in Canada and one of the Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012. He combines over 20 years of experience in international sales and business development with advanced persuasion skills and NLP sales techniques.
He is an award winning sales blogger, published author of 4 sales titles, Certified NLP Trainer, Autogenic Training Master Practitioner, and Certified Sales Professional.
Alen lives, eats and breathes sales, and he combines sales training skills with the persuasion, psychology and magic of NLP; you’re sure to enjoy your time receiving the best sales knowledge available!