How to Close Sales as an Introvert

I've got tons of introverted tendencies, even though Myers Briggs types me as an ENTJ. It makes sense. I am a freelance writer, after all. A full-blooded extrovert would have a difficult time spending this much time alone. So, when it comes to knowing how to close sales as an introvert, it’s all about learning how to properly manage people and relationships.

However, my lean toward extroversion on this spectrum seems to give me a bit of an edge against my fellow freelancers sometimes.

So, I started thinking about how my sales approach differs from your typically enthusiastic salesperson.

Ultimately, it led me to understand a few truths about closing sales as an introvert.

In today's post, I'd like to take you through some of these fundamental elements. Hopefully, it will help you on your journey as it has for me.

It's Not Sales, It's Relationships

Many people believe that to be a good salesperson you have to be a larger-than-life character. A person with so much charisma and energy that customers are almost awed into buying a product. But that’s just plain wrong.

You don’t need to be the Wolf of Wall Street to close sales. In fact, introverts can even have the upper hand over their more extroverted colleagues. That’s because sales is not all about bombast and bravado, it’s all about relationships.

Customers have worked hard to earn their money and don’t want to waste it. Therefore they are much more likely to buy a product from someone they trust.

Flashy salespeople can come off as dishonest and like they are only looking to make a quick buck. By adopting a more cautious approach, you can end up forming a business relationship that lasts a lifetime.

Let Clients Know What to Expect

If you’re not much of a talker, that’s absolutely fine and doesn’t mean you won’t be able to make a sale. You just need to be truthful with the client.

By telling him or her that you aren’t the type of person to produce elaborate sales pitches, they are more likely to believe what you do have to say.

Honesty is the key to building happy and long-lasting relationships. By being upfront from the start, you will gain your client’s trust and, probably, make a sale or two.

Become a Master of Listening

As a salesperson, you know it’s much easier to sell something to a client if they actually want to buy it. It might sound obvious but understanding your client’s needs is much more important than some salespeople would have you believe.

How do you find out their needs?

It’s simple: Ask them.

Ask probing questions to discover exactly what they require and make sure you pay attention to their answers.

Once they’ve had their say, repeat it back to them and ask any further questions you might have.

After listening carefully to their reply, double-check that you understand their requirements and confirm it with them.

After that, it’s a simple case of finding the product or service that best fits their needs.

It really isn’t rocket science. Using your introverted nature to listen rather than selling, will ultimately land you more success.

Surround Yourself With Extroverts

Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’ve got an introverted personality, how can you suddenly become extroverted?

Chances are you can’t. You are who you are and changing that would be very difficult.

Instead, look to work with extroverts who can guide you through the processes that you find more difficult.

For example, introverts can find small talk hard to handle, making the beginnings of sales calls quite difficult.

On the other hand, introverts excel when it comes to the details.

Why not team up with an extrovert and make the pitch together? Your colleague can create the connection, using their big personality to form the start of the relationship.

Then they can pass the client on to you when you need to get down to the crux of the calls.

By working together, you may well find, you can both increase the number of sales you make.

Make the Real Pitch Through Email

If you’re not the best over the phone then you’ve got the power of email to really state your case.

Follow up all calls with detailed emails containing all the information mentioned on the phone plus the next steps.

Emails really are a fantastic way to succinctly state your case. Your client will also appreciate it as they will have all the information at hand and will be able to make an informed decision on your product or service.

BONUS: Do Power Poses

If you need an extra little confidence boost before you make a sales call or pitch, then I highly recommend power poses.

If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, power poses are a method of boosting your self-confidence by adopting body language typically thought of as being powerful.

The most famous of these is “The Wonder Woman”, where you stand up tall, feet shoulder-width apart with your hands on your hips like, well, Wonder Woman.

Just a slight change in how you present yourself to the world can make a huge difference in how you come across, both to a client and to yourself.

Try out a power pose during your next sales call and see what a difference it can make.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you will no longer be wondering about how to close sales as an introvert. Instead, you should be excited to get out there and give these methods a try.

The main thing to remember is that being an introvert does not mean you will be a bad salesperson.

Instead, you hold many advantages over your more extroverted colleagues, you just need to know how to use those special powers.

I love Gary Vee's advice on sales. He says that he never tries to sell the unsellable. It's such great guidance because it keeps you from dwelling on factors beyond your control. There are 7.7 BILLION people on the planet. Someone will buy your services. You've just gotta tell them about it first.