The Introvert's Edge: Thriving in an Extroverted World

By Alexia Winterbourne

The Introvert's Edge: Thriving in an Extroverted World by Alexia Winterbourne is a transformative guide tailored for introverts seeking to excel in the sales industry. In a world that often equates silence with weakness and celebrates the extroverted salesperson, this book challenges those perceptions and reveals the inherent st

• Language: English
• Publisher: QuillQuest Publishers
• Release date: Jun 19, 2024
• ISBN: 9798330242801

Book preview

Introduction

In our extroverted world, where silence is equated with incompetence or even weakness, where we all know the metaphor of the successful salesperson as an extrovert high-fiving his way through the working day, introverted salespeople are seen, within the realms of the door-to-door salesperson or the used car salesperson, as an inevitable subset of stepchild (to be kept out of sight). The Introvert's Edge was specifically written for the introvert who wants to take control of that perception: someone who wants to be a great sales professional and revel in money and acclaim, but who has never had the advantage of experiencing the inherent power of the psychological packaging of their inner introvert. The book doesn't take anyone by the hand and drag them kicking and screaming to the forefront of inner stardom, but instead uses vernacular, personal anecdotes, and real-world stories to illustrate how introverted salespeople can use natural attributes to outsell every one of their extroverted colleagues.

The reality of sales is that extroverts don't make the best salespeople - chameleons do! A Sales Safari showed a lion chasing an antelope. The lion was bigger, stronger, and faster than the antelope, with only one problem: the antelope was on land, and lions don't do well in water. The antelope stumbled into a small lake, and the lion - its very life and soul on the line - stayed right at the edge of the water, letting its potential meal drink until the antelope's thirst was quenched! Today, companies are spending $3 billion per year on sales training. And as bad as sales training is for most employees, it's worse for introverts. Introverts consistently spend 44 percent more time learning in their quest to become good at sales. And yet, 87 percent of them realize they spend less time actually selling than their extroverted colleagues.

Understanding Introversion

When it comes down to it, human behavior is driven by a combination of nature (as in predispositions and ability sets) and nurture (as in upbringing and experiences). While we often view introversion, like extroversion, as a personality trait that can change, in fact it better aligns with what has traditionally been called temperament. A useful definition of temperament is that it refers to how you are (in terms of instincts and predispositions) before all the stuff around you is put in place (i.e., how you grow up). Several comprehensive reviews of the available research have consistently confirmed that your temperament largely stays with you from birth and comprises three primary dimensions.

Most people misunderstand and underestimate introverts. When the average person hears the word introversion, what comes to mind is a big handful of pop-culture myths and misconceptions. We make broad generalizations about introverts in situations where we know they will excel, and we use these generalizations covertly to justify our views and opinions about them in situations where we perceive this to not be the case. I am convinced that this lack of clarity and