Can Shy People Become Sales Superstars?

It’s true that sales depend heavily on personal interaction. A common misconception which stems from this fact is this: only those who are naturally outspoken can make the big bucks in sales. However, the truth is that there are many different types of sales, and therefore different personality types can succeed as salespeople as long as they are placed in the right roles.

Here are three great examples of very well known, and very successful, salespeople in a single competitive market who also happen to have introverted personalities.

1) Bill Gates

For every extroverted personality like Donald Trump, there is probably an introverted Bill Gates doing just as well, although we might not hear about them. Gates studied at Harvard before eventually dropping out after discovering that innovative ideas, market strategy, consistent revision of a product, and a nearly clairvoyant ability to predict outcomes that his competitors couldn’t, would make him rich. For example, Microsoft’s operating system comes preloaded onto PCs, connecting one popular product to his own, and leading to increased sales. Has Bill Gates been described as extroverted? Absolutely not. But other sales aptitude assessment indicators such as flexibility, organization, and motivation mark him as a guaranteed success.

2) Mark Zuckerberg

Many are familiar with Mark Zuckerberg’s path to success, as rapid as it has been. From a computer in his dorm room in college, he created the software which would one day power the massively popular social networking website, Facebook. Today, it has connected just over one billion people. Zuckerberg, of course, is an example of someone who has made the sale even without dominant personality traits one might find in a sales aptitude assessment. And sometimes, as David Cohen of TechStars advises, personality doesn’t propel someone to stellar sales as much as natural talent does. Zuckerberg nails the relevant mental faculties, and no one can say that the Facebook founder isn’t motivated, assertive, or competitive in business — even if somewhat low-key socially.

3) Michael Dell

Michael Dell is another story of success. He had a plan, a motivation to succeed, and he didn’t make the same mistakes twice. He has been described as shy, quiet, and slow to warm up to others, but over time has overcome his introverted personality and become someone known for his charisma and charm. Because of this transformation, he is a great example of how someone can, through experience and practice, overcome personality traits which might hinder success in a given field.

As proven with the three examples above, shyness alone is not a good indicator as to whether someone has a knack for sales. A sales aptitude assessment is a much better tool, and will illuminate the areas in which people might excel, and in which they won’t.

At Asher Strategies, we provide a quick, painless and affordable sales aptitude test called the Craft Personality Questionnaire which your sales team can take from any computer. Please contact us with any questions about the test and how to start picking better talent for your team today.