OK, to be honest, my mom never uttered the word “ambivert” since it wasn’t in use when she was alive. However, she used to tell me I’d be good in sales because I was friendly and liked to talk despite my always knowing inside I was rather timid and shy.
We’ve all heard extroverts make the best salespeople because they aren’t afraid to meet new people, they’re sociable, assertive and gregarious. When we think of a “salesperson” the image is often that of a used car or copier salesperson, someone who can get you to buy something you don’t necessarily want to buy because they are so persuasive.
However, a study by Adam Grant, a management professor at The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School has found extroverts really aren’t the best at sales, nor are introverts. According to his study, those who do perform best in moving other people are known as ambiverts, those with personalities almost in the middle between the extremes of extroverts and introverts.
So what exactly are ambiverts? According to Grant, they are people who have pretty much equal parts of introversion and extraversion and fall in the middle of a 1 – 10 grading scale. Ambiverts are typically friendly, know the answers to questions they will be asked, and have adjusted to the new environment where customers are oftentimes as knowledgeable as those seeking to sell them something. They know when to talk and, even more so, when to listen. Chances are, the majority of us are ambiverts and just never knew it.
To find out what your style is, take a short test created by Daniel Pink, author of a fantastic book called, “To Sell is Human.” His book will test your theories on the age-old elevator pitch, on how we’ve moved from a caveat emptor (buyer beware) to a caveat venditor (seller beware) society, and why attunement is paramount in a world where 9 out of 10 people are in some form of sales. If you’re in sales of any kind (including moms, dads, teachers, customer service reps and pretty much any other line of work) I suggest you read this enlightening and fun book. It’s a paradigm shifter for sure.
Being an ambivert is nothing to be embarrassed about so should your mom ever call you that, you can honestly say thank you and mean it.
After several decades on-the-radio as a DJ and traffic reporter, Steve Woodburn MAS, stumbled, as most do, into the world of promotional products. He spent 27 years on the distributor side and the last three as a supplier, which gives him a unique perspective on this crazy business and life in general.