Two Types of Salespeople
When I came across the title to a blog post by sales professional Zan Jones, which was titled “What Kind of Salesperson are You?”, I expected to find a questionnaire or a list that helps categorize a salesperson. I was surprised to see only two sales types to choose from…and that’s it. Despite the seeming simplicity, the two types, which Jones says are identified in the book Selling in Tough Times, do point out the a major division when it comes to types of salespeople.
So, just what are these two types?
1. The interesting extrovert
2. The interested introvert
Click here to read what the stereotypes are of these categories, and which one may be the most successful. Do you agree these classifications, or is it possible for a salesperson to be a mix of both?
Comment by Zan Jones on 3 March 2010:
Good point – a mix of both the interesting extrovert and the interested introvert is ideal. Kind of like a marriage!
Comment by Ben Shute on 4 March 2010:
A great salesperson is the one who can do both. Being able to talk in general terms about a range of topics to build rapport but knowing what your product delivers to close the sale is paramount. To my mind there are 4 pillars of sales knowledge – market, product, general and client. By being able to be sound in all 4, an dynamic combination of these 2 types of sales person should not be difficult to achieve.