Why introverts close more deals

Published: Wed, 07/24/24

Updated: Sat, 07/27/24

July 24, 2024

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, sweaty salespeople across the land. While you’ve been harassing prospects on LinkedIn or trying to destress on vacation, we’ve been hard at work on this week’s issue, where we’ll look at why introverts make excellent salespeople, share a Sales Fail about dog names, and give some advice to a rep being tasked with asking for referrals. Enjoy!

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

52% of sales professionals saw an increase in B2B customers using self-serve tools compared to the previous year

Source: HubSpot

SALES ROUNDUP

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

Spotify is conducting sales layoffs in its account and campaign management teams. This comes as the streaming giant focuses on programmatic advertising for small and medium-sized businesses. As first reported by AdAge, a Spotify spokesperson shared that the restructure would consolidate the existing positions and eliminate 17 yet-to-be-filled roles, without divulging further details. You can read more about it here.
Magic Leap, the once mega-hyped startup that promised to revolutionize augmented reality and raised billions of dollars in funding has laid off their entire sales team. Additionally, the company is pivoting away from making their own headsets, which, for a company known for making headsets, is a bit weird. The new strategy, sources say, is to become a component vendor for other companies looking to build their own headsets. You can read more about it here.

FEATURE

Image: TA Design/shutterstock.com

Why Introverts Actually Make Excellent Salespeople

Sales culture, media, and conventional wisdom have historically promoted the idea that top-performing salespeople are loud, fast-talking extroverts who use their commanding presence and social skills to control the room to get prospects to sign on the dotted line.

While extroverts are known for their outgoing nature and ability to engage easily with others, introverts possess qualities that can make them effective salespeople. Murray Barrick of Michigan State University led a comprehensive study that found no correlation between extraversion and sales success. Instead, his research found that braggadocious over-the-top salespeople were actually more likely to alienate prospects than the more reserved sellers, which is bad news for Alec Baldwin’s character in Glengarry Glen Ross –“I made $970,000 last year. How much did you make?” (this is probably not the right approach).

Introverts have clear strengths they can play to in order to succeed in sales. Understanding these strengths can not only help introverts excel in their roles but can also encourage sales teams to leverage the diverse talents within their ranks. Your humble writers here at The Quota are self-described introverts, but don’t worry, because we’re not biased at all! ;)

1. Modesty & Humility

Prospects can often sense when a salesperson is being insincere. Introverts, who tend to be more reserved, usually come across as more genuine and sincere. Barrick’s research found that 91% of top salespeople had medium to high scores of modesty and humility.

Introverts have a natural inclination to avoid small talk and focus on substantive conversations that can help build credibility. This authenticity is particularly appealing in a sales context, where building trust is paramount. This can be a distinct advantage for the introvert who may under-promise and over-deliver, compared to a more bold salesperson who promises the prospect the world, the moon, and beyond.

2. Curiosity & Deep Listening Skills

One of the most significant advantages introverts have in sales is their ability to listen deeply. Barrick’s research found that 82% of top salespeople had extremely high curiosity levels, which led them to ask more questions and be more inquisitive with prospects.

Unlike extroverts, who might dominate conversations, introverts are naturally inclined to listen more than they speak. This trait allows them to understand the needs, concerns, and pain points of prospects more thoroughly. By paying close attention to what the client is saying, introverts can tailor their pitch to address specific needs, thereby building stronger, more personalized connections with potential customers.

3. Gregariousness

Believe it or not, the best performing salespeople actually don’t love talking to people all day. Barrick’s study found that top performers averaged 30% lower levels of gregariousness (the preference for being social and around people) than below average performers.

Introverts don’t need or want to be friends with everyone, especially their prospects. This helps them build trust, as they stick mostly to the facts and focus on solving problems. Introverts also tend to form deeper, more meaningful connections because they focus on quality over quantity. They are more likely to engage in one-on-one interactions, allowing them to develop a genuine rapport with clients. This approach fosters trust and loyalty, which are critical for long-term success in sales.

Introverts possess a range of qualities that make them exceptionally well-suited for sales roles. Introverts usually don’t want to be the center of attention, which allows them to make customer conversations about… the customer, not themselves. Introverts are also more reserved and modest, which is likely to be recognized by customers and build genuine trust and long-term relationships. Check out the sales leaderboard at your company. Is the top performer one of the more quiet reps? When an extrovert is on top, you’ll likely never hear the end of it; when the introvert is on top, you might not even notice.

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MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

Which actor played the role of Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross?

A. Jack Lemmon
B. Alec Baldwin
C. Kevin Spacey
D. Al Pacino

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 cars, both new and used. A few years ago, a middle aged couple came in and wanted to test drive one of our new trucks. They looked very normal. The woman was very quiet and her husband was the one doing all of the talking.

After they got back from the test drive, we sat down to run the numbers. I was making small talk and the guy seemed to start opening up a bit, but the wife just kind of sat next to him nervously without saying anything. At one point, he said something about his son. I asked what his son was doing and what his name was just to keep the conversation going. He told me his son’s name was Dave.

Well, I happen to have a golden retriever named Dave (seriously). And I immediately told him I had a dog named Dave, thinking he would get a kick out of it. He looked at me for a while, then said, “That’s disrespectful.” Then he turned to his wife, and said, “Let’s go. We’ll find a professional dealership to buy from.” They got up and walked out the door, despite me trying to apologize on their way out.

Anonymous Location withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- July 2024

WORTH A PEEK

Who is the worst salesperson you’ve ever met? This fantastic question was the subject of a recent Reddit thread on r/sales. The answers and stories are hilarious. Check it out 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've been in my current role as an AE at a B2B company for three years. It's a pretty good job, and I have no major complaints so far. But I've run into a very specific problem I'm hoping you can help me with. Our VP of Sales is pushing a team-wide initiative for us to get more referrals from our existing customers. He wants every AE at the company to make this a priority, which makes sense as our customers are generally pretty happy with our product. It seems like it would work.

But it really isn't working. I've started asking my customers for referrals. I've been doing it organically on check-in calls instead of email, and I usually get some kind of positive response saying something along the lines of "Let me think of who would be a good fit and I'll get back to you." But then nothing really happens. I don't want to be too pushy and keep bringing this up on calls. I feel like this may be too big of an ask and could risk hurting the relationship. Our product is also incredibly niche, so I feel like our customers don't have too many relationships with other companies that would be a good fit for us (or any that aren't direct competitors to them). Why would they refer our product (which helps them be more efficient) to their competition?

What's the best way to thread the needle here? My boss is pushing me on this, so I'm feeling the pressure. I want to bring in new business this way, but I don't want to risk these customer relationships, and I also feel like this initiative is kind of a waste of time.

Timid in The Carolinas

Dear Timid

Customer referrals are the holy grail for new business. The acquisition costs for the company are a fraction of what marketing spends to get you a lead, and referral leads are much easier to close. That being said, getting your customers to introduce you to new prospects is tough, especially in B2B.

Asking your customers to introduce you to their peers in a business context is a big, serious ask. It needs to be worth their time, effort, and social capital. If your VP of Sales is serious about this referral initiative, they need to make sure that there's some kind of (good) incentive in place that will make your customers more willing to make introductions.

It also seems that the way you've been asking your customers, (passively on check-in calls), might be making it easier for them to brush you off. It may be worth trying to start a new email thread or set up a meeting with them to discuss referrals specifically. This is of course a bigger ask, and they could say no, but at least you won't be in a limbo where you have a bunch of empty promises from your customers and not know where you stand.

You also shouldn't worry too much about your ask hurting your relationship. It's very unlikely that asking will upset you customer, unless you're obnoxiously persistent or don't take no for an answer. Be intentional, and don't be afraid. You'll never get what you don't ask for. Good luck!

Quiz Answer: D. Al Pacino played the role of Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross

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

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