When you imagine a salesman, the “used car salesman” persona is likely to cross your mind. The over-eager, noisy, and dynamic pitchman who salivates at the sight of a new candidate and blatantly tracks possible customers through a showroom and throughout the sales area. It is the image we have added to the word “salesman” in our mental dictionaries.
Sales professions are, on the outside, far more fit to people who socialise – the extroverts. Extroverted people flourish on being encircled by others, enjoy engaging with new people, are very friendly and skilled at manoeuvering and handling social situations, and seem to imagine better when talking. On the other hand, introverts favor ‘alone time,’ are uncomfortable in social gatherings or when around strangers, tend to be shy and reserved, and usually spend far more time pondering what they want to say than actually speaking anything.
Because introverts are seemingly unsuited to any sales-driven job, you would think it would be nearly unlikely to come up with policies for selling for introverts that could generate some profit measure. However, this is not the conclusion. Introverted souls do have within them the strength to transcend their candid counterparts when it comes to being prosperous in a sales position.
The following tips for selling will help introverts gain the self-confidence they need to become a favorite in the sales world:
- The world is on the outside and now in closed walls. Yes, you’re introverted, but if you want to land a sale now and then, you have to be able to stay around people.
- Greet everyone you meet, even if it’s just with a plain “hello.” Make eye contact, smile, and speak. Communicating will strangers will help you get used to talking to potential clients in the future.
- If you are scared to do it – do it! Try to do at least one exercise every day that makes you nervous or heaves your fear level. It helps build your strength and gives you self-assurance.
- Give public speaking presentations. If you are incredibly knowledgeable on a particular subject, find ways to give presentations – at the book store, sales meetings, library, or anywhere you can speak to big groups.
- Be excited about what you’re selling. If you don’t believe in the service or product you’re selling, your customers will sense this and will lose faith in the offering.
- Endurance does pay off quite often. Be doggedly resolved to close a sale, to the point where your customers reprimand you for your patience. Don’t ever take “no” for an answer and walk away. Find out why the response is a “no” and turn it into a “yes.”
- Stay active and keep yourself busy. If you’re always on the move and committed to many different things, you won’t have time to be shy, distant and reserved.
These thoughts on marketing for introverts will help you grow out of your solace and take care of your sales calls and customer interactions. With the tips above, you can expedite a favorable resolution for yourself via a sale and a sweet ending for your client by giving them what they needed. Even if you are a loner by nature, you can re-create your unrestricted persona to generate extroverted biases when working in sales-related markets.
