Why narcissists make good salespeople

Published: Wed, 08/17/22

August 17, 2022

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning. We’ve been thinking of ways to go viral on LinkedIn, but last week, the “Crying CEO” stole our best idea, so it’s back to the drawing board. In this week’s edition of The Quota, we’ll uncover the dark side of sales personalities, share a Sales Fail that shows why you shouldn't take sales advice from Instagram, and give some advice to a laid off rep. Let’s go.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

An average of 18 calls is needed to connect with a buyer.

Source: Gartner

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

Even tech giant Google appears to be affected by the slowdown and layoffs hitting the tech industry. According to reports, senior leadership reportedly informed staff members in the Google Cloud sales division that there would be an "overall examination of sales productivity and productivity in general,” and the sales team was told that if third quarter results "don't look up, [then] there will be blood in the streets." You can read the report here.
Can being a professional mixed martial arts fighter help with a career in sales? Paris Moran, a UFC fighter with a 7-1 record, knows the answer, as he works full-time as a T-Mobile salesman outside the octagon. UFC.com recently talked to the fighter about what it’s like to juggle two (equally?) brutal jobs. You can read the article here.

FEATURE

The dark side of sales: Machiavellians, narcissists, and psychopaths

Narcissists, psychopaths, Machiavellians – these are all characteristics that make for great TV villains, but what if they’re in the breakroom too?

A recent study from the University of New Hampshire, University of Kentucky, Texas A&M University, and Florida State University published in the Journal of Marketing shows that salespeople with a combination of these traits – known as the dark triad – are particularly good at their jobs. That is, salespeople scored higher on all three of these traits than any other profession in the study except… (can you guess?)… CEOs, lawyers, and celebrities!

Most academic research focuses on the positive traits that allow salespeople to thrive, such as charisma, outgoingness, and beards (if you read our last newsletter, you’ll know what we mean). But the latest science shows that those who possess this dark triad are particularly adept at meeting their quotas too. Keep in mind, these dark triad folks only make up a small percentage of the sales industry, (though there’s a pretty good chance you might be able to think of someone who fits the bill).

Does it then follow that nice guys and gals finish last? Not necessarily. Narcissism and psychopathy are shown to eventually catch up with those who possess these traits. At first, a narcissist might be able to mask his egocentrism with superficial charm and climb the corporate ladder quite a bit before his “fall from grace,” as the study says.

But eventually, the fall comes when colleagues discover the trait holder’s true colors, usually after working with them for months, or perhaps years. Typically, as their social capital diminishes, sales performance follows, since you need the support of your coworkers if you truly want to succeed.

There are also certain companies where these types of personalities can thrive, as they may be structured in such a way as to obscure the bad behavior, though other companies are structured to unmask them and force them into the light. Those at the former are likely to get farther before their proverbial fall.

As for the Machiavellians, the last time we checked, they were getting another promotion. The study shows that these people tend to thrive in the long term, though the reasoning is still unclear as to why. Maybe they have their own triad that science has yet to crack.

TOGETHER WITH SALES IMPACT ACADEMY

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MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

Which celebrity worked as a telemarketer, selling tools, before getting their big break?

A. Jason Statham
B. Daniel Craig
C. Vin Diesel
D. Jason Momoa

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

“I sell software to restaurants, and have been for about four years. Less than a year ago, I had stumbled across a video on Instagram that was from this sales guru (not gonna say who), and in the video, he said the best response to a prospect asking for a discount was to respond with “I could charge you more.” I forget the reasoning, but I remember at the time thinking that I was going to try it.

Anyways, I was selling to this one guy over the phone. He had done a free trial of our software and said he liked it, and we were going over the price. We have different pricing for annual plans vs. monthly plans, and I was trying to get him to sign for a year, when he said that he liked the idea of paying for the year, but was I able to offer an additional discount?

For some reason, I thought back to that video and said, “I could charge you more.” There was a long pause. Then his tone completely changed and he asked why I was being a smart ass. Then he said, “Is this how you think you’re gonna earn my business? By being a little p*&$k?” I apologized and said it was just a joke, but by then, I was basically stumbling over my words and making things more awkward than they already were. The guy said he was going to find our competitor and sign with them that day and hung up. He never answered my calls or emails again.”

Anonymous New York

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- August 2022

WORTH A PEEK

Sick of searching Google and LinkedIn so you can stay up to date on what’s happening with your prospects? Who has the time!? There’s a much easier way to get the latest business news and insights about your key accounts quickly – Owler! Knowledge is power when it comes to building rapport and closing deals. Join the Owler Community and start following and monitoring your top 5 most important customers for free. You can learn more here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team,

I’m in my third year as a SaaS sales rep. I went into sales straight out of college. About 3 months ago, I was aggressively recruited to join a company that had just raised a big round of funding. They came to me, I didn’t go to them.

After a lot of consideration, I decided to go work there. The company (I thought) had great potential and I would have the opportunity to help build out the sales team, and get a nice pay bump and stock option grant.

I joined the team in early July, and everything seemed to be going well. Then, in late July, they laid me off along with about 60% of the sales team. They gave us 2 weeks of severance pay, which was just our base, and the CEO said he would help us all find a “place to land,” though literally nothing has come of that at all.

I’m absolutely furious. Is there anything I can do to get back at them? I’ve been telling everybody I know never to work there or do business with them, but I’ve definitely had the urge to make a LinkedIn post blasting them, I just don’t know whether it will backfire on me. I guess that’s why I’m writing this to you guys instead – as a way to vent. Any suggestions?

Furious on the East Coast

Dear Furious,

Thanks for writing in. You have every right to be pissed off, especially since this company went out of their way to recruit you. From what we’re hearing, this is happening quite a bit lately, especially in tech.

But here’s our advice: move on. Physically and mentally. The company wrote you off, and you need to write them off too. Trying to retaliate or get even won’t do anything to better your situation, and any temporary pleasure you might get from taking them down a notch or helping to tarnish their reputation will be fleeting – nowhere near as good as the feeling you’ll get from your own success.

There’s a ton of uncertainty out there right now, and some companies are handling it better than others. At best, let this be a lesson that despite what an employer says, they don’t necessarily have your best interest at heart. Usually, the ones shouting the loudest about how the company is like “family” are the ones you want to avoid.

But as far as you’re concerned, the best thing you can do for yourself is move on, and become so successful that they’ll regret they ever let you go. Success is always the best revenge.

Quiz Answer: C - you can read the source article here

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Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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