Selling Hacks For Introverts
My first sales job was in a men’s retail clothing store in Honolulu, Hawaii. I can still remember my extreme excitement when the interviewing manager offered me the job on the spot, after my interview. I knew this was going to be the start of something awesome.
And then…it wasn’t so awesome.
I immediately struggled with selling. (Which is quite a problem when your entire job is selling!) Selling felt so uncomfortable to me and it showed in my low sales numbers. Every time I’d ask for the sale I’d feel the butterflies in my stomach, and would either rush through the “close” or ignore asking for the sale entirely.
I was told by my managers to “just sell better!” They would point to the really amazing sales people and tell me to sell like them. Meanwhile, inside I wanted to scream, “Do you know how weird it is to ask someone I’ve never met for their money?”
This negative pattern repeated often throughout my sales career, which left me feeling frustrated and stuck.
Can you relate?
What I finally realized is that I was an introvert trying to sell in environments where being an extrovert was highly valued (and where many of the leaders I worked for were extroverts themselves!)
If I was going to succeed in selling I needed to get over my fears over selling, embrace the idea that introverts can sell well (in spite of what others might have thought), and leverage the unique qualities I had as an introvert to sell better.
And, that’s just what I did! Making that decision accelerated my success and opened the doors I needed to have the career (as a speaker and consultant) that I have today.
If you’re an introvert (like me!), these are the core hacks that have served me really well, and that I trust you’ll find valuable too!
Hack #1: Focus on Purpose-Not Your Fears
The turning point for me in my sales journey was when I got FED UP with getting talked to (all the time) by my manager for poor sales performance. So, I committed to making my purpose (not getting yelled at) bigger than the fears which prevented me from doing the things I needed to do to reach my potential in selling. Focusing on purpose helped give me the conviction I needed to overcome objections, ask for the sale and to follow up consistently, which all helped me increase my sales numbers.
Hack #2: Define The Difference You Make
After training thousands of people in selling, I’ve found that one of the big hangups people (especially introverts) have is the belief that “selling is sleazy.” In other words, when people believe that there is something inherently wrong with selling, they are less likely to sell effectively.
Here’s the truth you must know; you make a difference in the lives of your customers. Pause for a minute and reflect on how you (personally) make people’s lives better through what you’re selling (whether it’s an apartment, product or service.) When you feel hesitant to ask for the sale, remember all of the ways that you make your customer’s life better, and use it to help you feel confident to ask for the sale.
Hack #3: Understand What Your Customer Really Wants
Introverts tend to be excellent listeners. They pay close attention to details and understand the needs and concerns of their customers. Use this ability to ask great questions (and gather great information) so that you can discover what your customer truly wants. If your customers feel that you really “get them” they are much more likely to want to buy from you.
And, because introverts tend to be more reserved in their communication style than extroverts, this can actually increase your customer’s positive impressions of you and help you build the connection and credibility you need to close the sale.
Hack #4: Get Some Extrovert Inspiration
Extroverts can teach a lot to introverts. One of the most powerful things I did to accelerate my sales results was to observe the extroverted sales people that I worked with, and to implement some of what they did into my sales conversations. Because we approached communication and engagement differently in many ways, I learned new ways to connect with customers that helped me become more effective in selling.
Hack #5: Just Give It a Go!
If you’re like me, you might find yourself worried about how things are going to go, which can prevent you from doing what you need to do to crush it in sales. Instead of getting stuck on perfection, or on “I don’t know how to do that” or “I can’t do that”, just focus on giving it a try, one step at a time.
Sometimes it’s going to create a positive outcome, sometimes it won’t. Both are okay! (In fact a majority of your customers will say, “No.”) The important thing is to celebrate your wins, learn from the challenges, and embrace the opportunity to make people’s lives better through selling.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rommel Anacan (Roe-mell Ana-kin) is a motivational speaker, coach and consultant. He is obsessed with helping people break through their limits to achieve the success they desire. It’s the reason thousands have looked to him for easy to use strategies that instantly equip and empower them to achieve extraordinary results.
Rommel (Roe-mell) has keynoted and presented at world-class events and conferences, and has spoken for leading companies and organizations nationwide. He is also a member of the famed Apartment All-Stars team.
When not traveling around the country, Rommel loves spending time with his family in Southern California, volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol and loves watching sports and Hallmark movies. Learn more at RommelAnacan.com.