Introverts in Sales - Why Not?

I've just gone through the recently opened files here in Word, and to my own shock, I found an overabundance of weather forecasts and warnings, with precious little of the blog articles I so love to write. Now granted, the last few days have been extraordinary from a weather perspective, but when did that become the dominant factor in my writing ambitions? That's not how it's supposed to work. But, at least it gave me a good opener for this post, after staring at a blank page for hours.

Anyways, as the Stellaris theme is playing in the background, I'm sitting here reflecting on two rather interesting TED talks I watched today. Both were from a TED playlist called "For the love of introverts", which is kinda fitting, since I am very much one of those. The first one was held by author Susan Cain. Cain, who holds degrees from both Princeton and Harvard, laid out how our society and education systems, even to some degree our own family upbringing, are tooled to favour extroverts, action, and clear and bold positions, while the traits that traditionally make introverts excel, the ability to dig deep into an issue, the tendency to view a situation from many potential angles and viewpoints before making a decision, the ability to find inspiration in solitude, to make carefully qualified, weighted statements, instead of bold, absolute claims, are shunned, even considered in some circles to be anti-social.

The second video in that playlist was by Professor Brian Little. Entitled "Who are you, really?". His talk in particular was not only enlightening but highly entertaining. He takes a more personality-based approach at the whole issue of introversion, going into depth about the different personality stiles of introverts vs. extroverts, the different communications styles, and the different reactions to stimuli, the latter being a very important issue for me. However, he also stated that the personality types, while certainly important, aren't necessarily crucial. It is the motivation that drives you, your own personal "projects" as he referred to it that really define you, and can lead you to act "out of character" in certain situations. 

Both talks are highly informative, and I urge you to check them out. However, I'm not here to recommend TED videos. Rather, these two talks got me thinking about my own position at work. You see, in a way, I'm a walking oxymoron (Some people may argue about the oxy part): I'm an introvert in a sales environment. Now, conventional wisdom would have you believe that this simply isn't possible. They are totally incompatible, never the twain shall meet, and when it does happen, they'll react like matter and antimatter: They annihilate each other. Well, if you're reading this, I can assure you that this is most decidedly not the case, and that both my department and I are very much alive and kicking. Now don't get me wrong, sales is a world designed for extroverts, for the Jordan Belforts, the Steve Jobs, the Steve Maddens of this world, and so is business development, which is what I'm engaged in. However, that is not to say that introverts cannot make it in this environment. In fact, it is my firm belief that introverts can thrive in such an environment, and can in fact provide some vital contributions to their respective employers.

Introverts, as mentioned above, generally have a tendency to dig really deep down into an issue, we won't stop until we've gotten to the bottom of it. We tend to be generally more analytical, waiting until they have gained a thorough understanding of the issue before speaking out or acting. In fields of work that require sifting through a lot of data to build up a coherent picture, these traits can be a godsend, and business development, with its torrent of raw leads about new customers, certainly requires a lot of data sifting, even after our analysts are done with it. I sometimes feel as if I have an Excel grid engraved into my retina. This tendency to dig deep can come in very handy when it comes to concentrating on a complex issue, and the product portfolio of my current employer is a brilliant example of that. The interplay between the many different solutions can be overwhelming for people who tend to only skim the surface. Here, the ability to really work things out can be the difference between just regurgitating talking points thought up by the marketing team, and actually understanding our ecosystem, which in turn can be a crucial decider when talking to a customer. And since I just mentioned customer interaction, introverts aren't actually all shy. The fact that we don't need the company of other people all the time doesn't mean we're afraid of that, hell, I like dealing with people. I'm just not addicted to it.

Now, with all that being said, we introverts do have some peculiarities that managers in a sales role should be aware of, on the lookout for, and able to adapt to without external prompts. For one, when we start digging into a subject, we tend to focus on that, really home in on it, and switching nilly-willy between tasks is often counterproductive, as it seriously interrupts our workflow. We have no problem doing what needs to be done, mind you. Just stand back, and don't interfere until the screams have stopped and the dust has settled. Now, I haven't had problems with my direct managers on that point, on the contrary, I've been blessed with working with some of the best team leads and managers out there, however not every manger is as attuned to these nuances that we introverts give off. Therefore, in my eyes, it is of seminal importance that anyone applying for a leadership position at any level receives thorough training and coaching on this matter. And quite frankly, any management candidate that believes this stuff just to be a load of bull is not fit to lead, and could potentially be a danger to his team and his colleagues.

 The second point chimes in with some of the points that Susan Cain made in her TED talk. Modern society is biased towards extroverts, they seem to be held up as the ideal, and pretty much everything from classrooms to open-plan offices seems to be made for them and them alone. Now, unlike many other people who've worked their way through a call center, I'm not opposed to open-plan offices in general. Hell, I even liked the refurbished AppleCare offices up in Hollyhill. However, such an office creates an enormous amount of stimuli that flood down upon individuals, something that is even more true for sales environments. As Professor Little points out in his TED talk, this will become overwhelming for introverts after a certain time, and they'll need to "detox" from all of that. Some may find some solitude in the bathroom cubicles, while others, like yours truly, simply grab a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Neither of those two actions is indicative of an unwillingness to work, but a natural reaction to keep our minds from overloading.

The option to work away from your desk is becoming ever more important. This is especially true for introverts like me. Whether that is in the shape of bar counters like this one in Arup's new offices in Cork...

...or lounge like areas, like this in the Cork offices of Hortonworks, are a godsend to get a bit of a time-out when the sales floor gets a bit too heated.

It is here where the often maligned world of Silicon Valley (the actual valley, not the TV show) comes into play. You may laugh about slides, ball baths, or gaming consoles in the offices, however, individual work pods, breakout areas, and secluded corners where you can work in peace, combined with the availability of laptops as well as a high speed WiFi network in the office, actually make a lot of sense. Not only do they increase the general happiness of employees, these retreat options are a godsend for introverted employees, giving them a quiet, isolated space where they can work, while at the same time remaining productive. And it's kind of understanding given the fact that many of Silicon Valley's most iconic figures, like Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, or Larry Page of Oracle, are introverts themselves. Companies that still follow the old-fashioned model of fixed workstations or even thin clients, the ultimate insult for workers, and keep employees "chained" to their desks are practically begging for their employees to burn out. And no, with the advent of VoIP telephony and wireless headsets, a desk phone isn't a necessity anymore, so even phone based work can be done without being restrained to a certain desk. Now don't get me wrong, a designated desk is still something an employee should expect from their workplace, and things like hot-desking and clean desk policies are once again insults for employees, but it is more a home base these days than a permanent residence. 

So, in closing, where does it leave me, as an introvert in sales? Well, I'm going back to work on Monday for one, and I'm looking forward to working with my team again. It is this team that brought me through the horror of the last year, and has helped me to get to where I am now: Sitting on a couch, coffee beside me, finishing up this article on my MacBook ;) Seriously though, sales roles can, and do work for introverts just as well as they do for extroverts. However, just as introverts need to come out of their shell a bit in such a role, and adapt to its demands, the same is required of managers, team leads, and others. With a few, often minor adaptations, those organisations that do embrace introverts for sales roles should have no problem tapping into the special talents and resources people like me bring to the table, and gain a decisive edge over more traditional competitors.