The Extraversion vs. Introversion Debate: Who's the Better Salesperson?

This is one of the most common questions I’m asked when training professionals on personality and sales. Probably the most popularised of all the Jungian dichotomies, the extraversion and introversion scale is likely something you’ve heard of, spoken about and identified with before.

But what does it actually mean? When we think of an extravert, most of us think of the loudest person in the room. An introvert commonly conjures up an image of the shy or reserved one in a group. At the same time, I often have people saying to me, ‘I think I’m an introvert, but when I’m with my close friends I’m really loud... I don’t get it.’ And that’s because this dichotomy is not simply about how much someone talks.

Before we delve a little further, I should qualify that personality is a big, complex beast that could never be summated in a little article like this one. There are certain elements that can’t be quantified in any personality test; including our values, culture, intelligence, emotional intelligence, life experiences and a number of other things that inevitably affect our behaviour. All tools relating to personality and behavioural profiling will have their limitations, and ultimately we choose our actions so you should never feel restricted by some letters assigned to you in a profile. They can, however, give us some nice insights when we consider them in light of these limits, as one part of a much bigger whole ‘self’.

So from here, the examples I use are merely that, and you may or may not resonate with all of them. Keep in mind, too, that this is a scale, so you might fall only slightly towards introversion or extroversion, and if so then your behaviours will reflect that.

To get to the answer to the question, we have to start with an understanding of the dichotomy itself. When we talk about extraversion and introversion, the primary question we are asking is: Where do you get your energy from?

Extraverts

The extravert gets their energy externally. This means someone who identifies as a strong extravert will seek out external stimulation to recharge. Often, that comes in the form of other people. Because there is this external focus, we might see that manifest in behaviours like speaking quickly and expressively, thinking aloud, and communicating in a way that is directed outward: sometimes more gesticulating, more volume, and more need to connect with as many people as possible because this is what creates energy and motivation. They also tend to jump into tasks without much reflection, and enjoy working in groups.

I fall very far on the side of extroversion. As an example, I will even text in stream of consciousness – so I have been known to send 2 (or 10) texts in a row to friends and family, because I’m expressing as I’m thinking, rather than thinking about what I’m going to say and then putting it all together in one neat message. Sorry, friends.

Introverts

A strong introvert, though, will think before expressing. They may have the same internal thought process, but unlike the strong extravert they will likely only express the outcome of their thoughts, rather than give their audience a play-by-play of thoughts as they arise. On the same note, they’ll often spend more time reflecting before acting than an extravert. The introvert is energized internally. Instead of going out because they’ve had a long day, they’re probably more content going home to recharge alone. Because of the internal focus, some manifesting behaviours might include speaking more thoughtfully, expressing less emotion unless they’re more comfortable with their audience, hesitation to be the centre of attention, and being more comfortable with silence and their own company. Where an extravert wants to be around lots of people and thus often has a wide social circle, an introvert usually prefers to have a smaller social circle with deeper individual connections.

 Summary

So in sum, we have the strong extravert who needs stimulation from external sources to be energized and motivated, and the strong introvert who gains their energy and motivation from their inner world, ideas and reflection. Extraverts and introverts can both enjoy parties, but an introvert might feel more drained afterwards. Both can spend time alone, but an extravert might feel more drained afterwards. It has no bearing on confidence or assertiveness. Many people would fall somewhere near the middle of the continuum, and we all have moments of extraversion and introversion.

It’s a question of energy sources, and as a somewhat hilarious example there have even been studies on the impact of coffee on different personalities. Some of this research suggested that extraverts may perform better when they have a couple of cups of coffee, where introverts may perform less efficiently after the same. A beautiful (if somewhat depressing for cappuccino loving introverts) showcase of different responses to external stimulants and alertness to the environment.

So what is the impact on selling?

For some reason there is still this myth out there that the extravert is the stereotypical salesperson – the person with the ‘gift of the gab’ who talks everyone into anything they want. The thing is, not only can we see from above that this doesn’t really exemplify what an extravert is, it also has no bearing on what a good salesperson is. So let’s throw that idea out the window.

If I’m looking at natural behaviours, in my experience the strengths of the extravert in a sales environment include their ability to connect with strangers, to express themselves and work with many different people for long periods of time. However, I’ve also seen the need for consistent stimulation come to hinder the super extraverted salesperson, because they might struggle with silence and more reflective clients. They also tend to jump the gun in some areas that can lead to moving too fast or not reflecting enough on their clients needs and wants.

The introvert’s strengths lie with their reflective habits. With customers, I’ve found strong introverts naturally more inclined to ask follow up questions, sit more comfortably in silence and slow down to listen. Of course, the challenge then arises if the strong introvert moves too slowly. They also may be more drained if they have to work with lots of different colleagues and clients for long periods of time every day.

Some of the best salespeople I’ve ever seen have been strong introverts, and some have been strong extraverts. It really depends on the skills of the person, the kind of sales process and industry, and how that person uses their natural gifts of personality. There’s a lot to be gained from each side of the continuum, and your best bet at success is understanding who you are, and how you can leverage your natural strengths and improve your natural challenges. If you’re an extravert, for example, you’ve probably found yourself having to slow down, not dominate the conversation and focus on the client talking instead. If you’re an introvert, you’ve probably found yourself having to speed up and express a bit more to clients for them to open up (and maybe take a little ‘me’ time for lunch to recharge).

Takeaways

If you’re unsure about where you might fit on the continuum, think about where you get your energy from. Do you need people around you? Or do you need to recharge alone? There are many free personality tests online that can give you a good idea.

When you’ve identified your preference, think about how that serves you in your current environment. Think about the effect it has on your work, and what new habits you might be able to create to maximize your outcomes. Remember, we’re talking about our most natural behavioural preferences: You can choose your actions, no one is locked in a box here.

So who is the best salesperson? The best salespeople are the ones who know their natural selves, know how to utilize those traits that help their process, and work on new habits to overcome those traits that create challenges in their sales process.

Would you identify as an introvert or an extravert? How do you think it manifests as behaviours in your day to day life?

Make Today the Day,

Sonia

This blog post was originally posted on my training website, Statusone.com.au, on August 1, 2018. I have since been moving some of my favourite blog posts from there over to here, as this is now my ‘content hub’ and I want you to have access to some of the cool stuff I’ve written about before. You can still check out the Status One site if you’re interested in corporate training if you want. Also, don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter below for updates and weekly exclusive content.