Remember my email about phones the other day?
The one where I said the phone is the devil and it doesn’t jibe very well with my introverted ways?
Well, let’s rap about that for a sec.
One HUGE myth is introverts are bad at sales.
Maybe it’s because we don’t seek out attention. Tend to be men and women of few words. Or sometimes shun human contact. (For example, when walking on the beach with my dog, I will walk a half mile out of the way just to avoid an oncoming pedestrian… get outta here!)
So I see why people think we suck at selling.
Many times we DO come off as arrogant.
Aloof.
And maybe even downright rude!
But you know what?
I have noticed over the years that many of the best sales people (and marketers) are complete, unrepentant introverts who sell circles around their extroverted competition.
And it makes sense if you think about it.
For one thing, selling is NOT about who talks the most.
Frankly, talking is the WORST thing you can do.
Instead, we’re great listeners.
And in the game of selling, the best listener wipes the floor with the best talker. If you don’t believe me, then study the truly great persuaders and see how they worked their magic.
I’m talking about guys like Fred Herman.
Jim Camp (the world’s toughest negotiator).
Or, in direct marketing, Eugene Schwartz (who said listening was one of the big secrets of his copywriting success).
So anyway, just something to think about.
Yes, we introverts are a minority.
About 25% of the population, I think.
But as a wise man once said, we’re a minority in the regular population… but a majority in the GIFTED population.
But hey, at least we’re not arrogant, right?
Word up.
Ben Settle
P.S. You can learn more about how history’s most persuasive men and women sold (hint: they usually shut the [bleep!] up) over at:
