As sales coach and trainer, I see that what gets in the way of getting agreement for many sales people is their own mouth.

Josiane Feigon writes about the importance and discounting of introverts in sales. She makes the great point that in consultative sales, and in today's "Sales 2.0", sales reps talk less and listen more.

But what I consistently see are sales reps sticking to their own agenda, failing to acknowledge what their customer is saying, and working really hard to get in all their key points. It is a self-centric perspective that uses the customer to validate the sales rep. That is an extrovert perspective. Extroverts seek stimulation from outside themselves about themselves.

Introverts seek stimulation from within themselves, about others. They seek to understand, not be understood.

I highly recommend this TED talk by Susan Cain (also in Josiane's post above) about the power of introverts to gather ideas, reflect, and be self-directed. They are good listeners and thinkers who can help a customer define their problem. They let the customer lead , and follow and guide using their expertise. Introverts will likely work behind the scenes to get things done with collaboration and compromise.

These important skills are often discounted in favor of sales people who can "push for results", "be persistent", and "stay focused": all code words for driver, extroverted behaviors. That these are good sales behaviors is a value judgement. I suggest they get in the way more often than they help.

Let's recognize the value introverts can bring to a sales interaction with their ability to listen, clarify and reflect upon a customer's challenges.