THE SALES POWER OF THE INTROVERT
When we think of careers suited for extroverts, sales often springs to mind. After all, nothing could be more exhausting to an introvert than having to talk to dozens of people every day and maintain a positive demeanor to seal every deal.
or storytelling. Instead, salespeople need to be great listeners. This attention to detail and attentiveness to their subject is often found in introverts. Now, that doesn’t make extroverts bad at sales. Instead, you can harness the power of the introvert and spread the wealth among your sales team by doing the following:
However, a surprising study by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) disputes this belief.
salesperson knows to ask questions, begging the prospect to lead the conversation and push the salesperson into the appropriate action for a sale. 3. Keep It Relational: People remember stories. They want to hear stories of success and failures, often applying the lessons from those stories to their own lives. Introverts can captivate an audience — maybe that’s why so many introverts are also authors — and salespeople have to strike that balance between sharing stories and listening. For more guidance on how introverts can maximize a sales team, pick up Matthew Pollard’s book, “The Introvert’s Edge.”
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Establish Trust: Introverts have a powerful ability to connect one-on-one with whoever they are speaking to. They thrive on personal conversations, wherein
The HBR reports that being an extrovert had no impact on a salesperson’s ability to sell; in fact, some of the negative qualities of being an extrovert, such as bravado and overt friendliness, are more likely to alienate customers. On the flip side, humility and modesty were two traits possessed by those who were 90% better than other sales people in their company. Interestingly, these traits often accompany an introverted personality. The reason, as Entrepreneur.com reports, is actually fairly simple. Being effective at sales does not require a profound skill for speaking
they can build a rapport with one or two other people rather than a group. This trait is necessary for salespeople to acquire, as it makes prospects feel safe and heard. 2. Ask Questions : A long spiel about a product or service is overwhelming, especially when the person providing
it feels like a total stranger. Before launching into a pitch, an introverted
WHAT DID YOU SAY?
WHEN ALCOHOL STARTS TO AFFECT YOUR SPEECH
This .08 legal limit was put into place once scientific tests were performed to determine the effects that a human experiences after drinking differing amounts of alcohol. The results found that when an individual’s blood alcohol content reaches .08, depth perception, glare recovery, concentration, and peripheral vision become impaired. Safe driving depends heavily on these skills. Digging further, the temporary effect alcohol has on speech is caused by the alcohol’s interaction with the neurons in the brain, especially within the cerebellum. The more alcohol you consume, the harder it seems to form words, and your tongue has trouble working efficiently. When alcohol is present in your body, it affects how much gamma- aminobutyric acid (GABA) is present by creating more. When there is more present, your brain cannot properly process information that your body is attempting to send, and your speech becomes slurred. More alcohol means more GABA and, essentially, more speech slurring. This is why speech slurring is one of the many signs law enforcement looks for when evaluating a driver for a DUI. As always, drive safely and responsibly. Be sure to never drive under the influence, and if you do decide to have a drink, have a designated driver lined up!
Slurred speech is one of the telltale signs of having had one too many. Alcohol has the ability to severely interfere with the brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body. This means that motor skills, speech, balance, and coordination are all affected. Legally, .08 is the magic number, but what does that really mean, and when will alcohol have you slurring your speech? Here’s the thing: When you hit a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher, your body leads you to believe that you’re functioning much better than you actually are. This is about when speech slurring typically begins, which is why .08 is the legal limit. Once you begin to lose control of your speech, balance, and motor skills, you cannot safely operate a vehicle.
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