1. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts:
What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
Patricia Weber – Coach, Corporate Trainer and Certified
Teleclass Leader
THE BUSY PROFESSIONAL’S COACH
For introverts who want to leverage who they are and ...
be more successful in an extrovert world.
http://www.prostrategies.com
If you are reading this, it’s because you either suspect you are
introverted, know you are or – know someone else who is! With any of
these reasons I assure you, I personally know what it is like to be in
the business world where extroverts rule. What may be the only
difference between you and I is where we call home to make our living
and what we do for a profession. Other than that, the way of business
for us is more similar than different.
Actually, extroverts probably believe they created the rules for
succeeding in business. I mean who else would come up with the idea
that “happy” hour is in a smoke-filled bar, with many, many people,
talking loudly and face-to-face networking moving around as much as
you can meeting as many people as possible! Help me puke, please.
I have assessed myself over the last 18 years repeatedly because
sometimes people just do not believe I am an introvert. The
assessments never, never change. I am, an introversion and intuitive
type personality. The difference I believe is that I have behaviors that
leverage my traits to my advantage to be successful in business.
The business rules we think we have to play by are just that, rules we
think we play. My goal is that once you read this report or white paper,
you will have the belief that you can leverage introversion strengths
and some of the smartest people will not realize you’re just playing the
game your own way.
Let me share with you some observations of introverted traits that
work positively for us in most professional and personal relationships.
These are highlights from my six part audio ecourse, 6 Secrets to
Sales Success for Introverts! What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard
Way.
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 1

2. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
This content introduces you to what I hope will be a different and
encouraging perspective – that you can be who you are and still
succeed in our business world where the extroverted rules.
The secrets are in the truths for introverts are:
1. Thinking and planning inside my head is something I enjoy.
2. I don’t usually give personal information readily.
3. People say I’m a good listener.
4. I have good eye contact when listening.
5. At social events I lose energy as the event progresses.
6. Unless I know a subject well, I take time to reflect before I
speak.
Let these truths help you be more successful in your life and leave
behind the idea that you have to become someone you are not!
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 2

3. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
Thinking and planning inside my head is something I enjoy.
Come on now. I know this is you. Remember, I am an introvert. In a
2005 Goals Survey at ThinkQT.com, with 32,896 ThinkTQ.com
registered users in the United States the results were amazing! Would
you believe, less than 12% of those tested say they put any planning
in consistently? This means some 88% may want to have, to do or to
be something and yet they have no concrete procedure for seeing
them to fruition.
You and I as introverts know how much we love to plan. We think
things through, speak plans to ourselves, write things out. Our head is
the sandbox for the playground of our life.
I don’t know for sure but I would guess that as far as goal
achievement in this ThinkQT.com study, I just bet most of that 12%
are introverts. Don’t you?
Please, consider this: our tendencies actually support a key factor in
business success: planning. Our thinking and planning can help us
more in our success than the average extrovert!
Fieldwork: Use the time worn time management log in a different way.
For the next week, log your “thinking and planning” time. Discover the
castles you are building in your mind’s sandbox.
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 3

4. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
I don’t usually give personal information readily.
Communications in business is the number one skill to success by
many surveys. In addition, there are studies on the customer side of
two-way communications that point out qualities that we naturally
have that buyers are craving.
Fact is, as introverts we listen more than talk. Now guess what our
extroverted friends do more of? They talk! So, isn’t this terrific? And,
it’s quite a coupe in the way that all is balanced in nature.
Whether you are giving a sales presentation, holding a staff meeting or
at a business-networking event, most people are more interested in
what they have to say, not what someone else has to say. And we are
right there ready to listen to them!
By the time we are ready to offer personal information about ourselves
it is likely the time when we are at a heightened rapport in a
relationship. That means what we do have to say will more likely be
listened to and remembered.
People won’t do business with an individual or a company until they
know, like and trust you. Introvert and extrovert alike, this tends to be
a dynamic in business. We are purposely, due to who we are, talking
about ourselves little by little. In doing so, I believe we are more
effective at helping people to get to trust us more.
Fieldwork: At the next networking event you are at, do what you do
naturally and best, focus on understanding and appreciating people
you meet.
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 4

5. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
People say I’m a good listener.
A recent study by Ramsey and Sohi in the Journal of Academy of
Marketing Science clearly establishes that a customer’s perception of
how well someone who sells listens, has a positive association with
trust. Listening includes such behaviors as giving your full attention to
the customer, responding to acknowledge understanding and asking
clarifying questions.
In my corporate training programs for sales people, customer service
representatives and organizational managers, I offer a six hearing aid
approach to listening:
First, give your full attention to the person you are talking with.
Second, sort through any filters or barriers to your listening
fully.
Third, anticipate keywords.
Fourth, ask clarifying questions before you do your talking.
Fifth, listen for feelings first and specifics second.
Sixth, take notes of keywords, important ideas and the whole
picture as you listen.
And who holds the advantage to be able to do this best – the introvert
or the extrovert?
My friend, are you beginning to see or hear a pattern? I do hope that
you are finding that many traits we may have come to think are
hindering us in being successful are actually the most critically needed
skills to bring to bear to success!
Fieldwork: I can’t remember who I am borrowing this exercise from;
it’s a variation from a professional speaker who specializes in –
listening. Write down the top 5 speakers who you have heard speak.
Write down the top 5 listeners who you have met this past week.
Which is the harder for you to do and why do you think this?
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 5

6. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
I have good eye contact when listening.
Most of the eye contact research being done recently is around people
telling the truth. And there is substantial research that eye contact
communicates caring and interest.
In the medical field and in the professional speaking profession, the
statistics bear out that if you want someone to know, feel or see that
you are listening to them, then you want to have eye contact with
them 60% to 80% of the time. More than this is staring and deceptive.
Less than this is lack of sincerity or caring. This may differ in cultures
outside of the USA; actually, it does differ to degrees and by gender.
The critical point in general is that eye contact when listening is a
positive trait.
Regardless of the reason that we behave this way naturally, our
tendency to have good eye contact is part of who we are as introverts,
and quite sought after in communications!
Fieldwork: At the next networking meeting you attend, once you have
an extrovert on your radar screen, notice how much eye contact they
give you. If they are in this 60% to 80% of the time there’s a high
degree of likelihood this is a learned trait in their behavior. We as
introverts have this naturally.
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 6

7. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
At social events I lose energy as the event progresses.
Bernardo Carducci, psychology professor and director of the Shyness
Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany uses
a party scenario to illustrate the difference between an introvert and a
shy person. The introvert isn't afraid to talk to people but might stand
in the corner to take a break from the crowd. The shy person stands in
the corner because he feels he has no choice.
Carducci's research shows there are far more SHY people than
introverts. Actually, more than 40 percent of Americans are shy! It
may well be the same in other cultures.
Even with Carducci’s illustration, you may still not be clear. But as
relates to business networking, an extroverted sanctioned event, if you
find you also find your self-talk revolving around the words, “a bunch
of people,” “want to puke” or “got to take a break,” it’s likely you’re
introverted and you only need to tap your strategic nature to help with
a few energy boosters during such an event.
I will usually excuse myself within about 30 minutes of being in any
group. It’s as easy as saying something like, “Would you excuse me
while I go get a drink?” Now this is usually water with a slice of lime
for me but you get the point. I purposefully meander over to the bar;
in moving this way I get to have more time to recharge. Sometimes I’ll
say, “Would you excuse me? There is someone I see who just came in
and I promised I would connect with them?” It’s the same kind of
intention, just a different context.
Another idea, before you begin your networking rounds, stand around
the perimeter of the room looking for the smallest group with whom
you can mingle. It will help maintain your energy as you move slowly
to join the mingling.
Fieldwork: The next time you feel the energy vampire nipping at you
at a network, take any one quick action you can to get an energy burst
– totally fat free.
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 7

8. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
Unless I know a subject well, I take time to reflect before I
speak.
I am married to an extreme introvert for just over 35 years. He has
admitted to me that some times, when discussing something for the
first time, he just speaks what’s on his mind. He doesn't reflect about
how what he wants to say will affect who he is speaking with, or even
what he wants to say. In particular, these are times that he is
confronting a situation with one of his employees. I asked him; doesn’t
he even pause momentarily to collect his thoughts in some way? The
answer over the years is always, “I wish I did!” He is an experienced
professional in his field so of course he does know his “subject well,”
and can speak unhesitatingly and correctly in this context.
If we tend to be more intuitive than feeling, we might also behave the
same way. In general, though, we tend towards contributing to
conversations with well thought out and even innovative ideas.
On the playground, after all, we gain our energy from the sandbox of
thinking and planning. The extroverts are in their own sandbox. As I
think about this trait, for me what works in building my self-confidence
and self-esteem is to be clearly understood and know that people hear
me as articulate when I open my mouth. Taking time to reflect is
helpful is many situations.
Fieldwork: Notice how good you feel the next time you take time to
contemplate what you want to say. This is an energy-giving
characteristic for us.
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 8

9. 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts: What We Don’t Need To Learn The Hard Way
As introverts we often show up in public just the way we are.
Now, we don’t need to feel or think we are at the wrong place!
The six secrets are truths for introverts and are just the beginning of
knowing that we bring balance to the extroverted world. We bring
characteristics that are sought after in business. We can be successful
with just who we are.
There are many actions we can learn to take and “act out” to bring out
the extroverted qualities we might either admire or find necessary to
move us more quickly to success.
In the meantime, do what we do best: contemplate how the six truths
of who we are and their effectiveness to us being able to excel in
sales, and sought after in leadership and most helpful to clear
communications.
I believe that through either my individual or group coaching, I can
help you:
- Play to your strengths
- Clearly articulate and plan what specific extroversion traits
you would like to put into action
- Develop the skills you want to consciously and with ease
- Seek and find business groups that you can leverage your
natural tendencies
- Overall be happier and more successful with who you are
where you are.
I’m happy to talk with you further about your goals. Just email me at
pweber@prostrategies.com and we’ll plan things out from there.
While you think things over – there is one more “bonus” you might be
interested in, my 13 day series of Truths for Introverts Who Sell! Send
an email to pweber-160980@autocontactor.com and follow the opt-in
instructions.
Patricia Weber – Coach, Corporate Trainer and Certified Teleclass Leader
THE BUSY PROFESSIONAL’S COACH
For introverts who want to leverage who they are and ... be more successful
in an extrovert world.
http://www.prostrategies.com
Copyright 2006, Patricia Weber, pweber@prostrategies.com Page 9