The Power of Introversion

If you've ever been to a party or work-related event and the first thing that springs to mind is, get me the f**k out of here, you're probably an introvert, or an arse hole, but more likely the former.

As you might imagine, this poses a bit of an issue for introverted sellers, why? because the traditional concensus put sellers as loud, social and confident creatures; if you've seen Mad Men, think Don Draper. Introverta are considered somewhat outsiders, anti-social or shy. All of which are commen misconceptions, and infact some would argue that introverted sellers are better.

Misconceptions

In simple terms an introvert is someone who prefers quiet and minimly stimulating enviroments. Think a quiet drink with a friend as opposed to a party or a work from home enviroment instead of a busy sales floor. Introverts perform best under these circumstances. extroverts, on the other hand, are the polar opposite. Extroverts need higher levels of stimulation to perform. This can come in the form of a networking event, busy office or social scenes.

The biggest misconception I face is that I personally, along with other introverts are percieved as shy or anti-social. To state the obvious, this isnt true. Being shy is being uncomfortable and anxious due to social critisim. There could be some overlap, how much, I don't know.

Introverts on the Job

If your a introverted seller intervieing for a new job, common feedback you've probably heard before, things like 'bring more energy', 'show confidence' or 'be assertive' are classic traits of extroverted people. In my experience, hiring managers lean towards extroverts, possibily some sort of unconcious bias which causes them to think that introvereted traits are negative.

Modern day culture favours extroverts. As kids we're taught that the ideal person is somone who is loud, comfortable in the spotlight and someone who puts themselves out there. Yet, non of these things ensure success, quite often the loudest people tend to be the most insecure, and frankly, annoying in a conversation.

We can see examples of workplaces and schools imposing extroverted values on us in the form of group work and working pods. Introverts tend to suck in group meetings, and don't typically want to have that spotlight on them when giving their opinion. Hence why most group work is ran by extroverts and the group deicions will naturally fall in line with them.