My definition of introvert is "drained by other people" (vs. extrovert as "energized by other people"). I'm not shy... I'm outgoing, friendly, good at shooting the shit. But I get home and I'm tired.
Extroverts, by virtue of that energy-boost, are more likely to get into a enjoy sales... and do what it takes to be a good salesperson (research, etc.). So that means that the average introvert in sales is a "better" salesperson than the average extrovert, because the extrovert population is so much larger/deeper. There's no such think as a low-performing introvert in sales, because that introvert wouldn't be in sales in the first place.
It feels like saying "Power lifters are energized by weight lifting; frail people are drained by weight lifting."
Interacting with people (like lifting weights) is just work. People who are good at it make it look easy. People who are bad at it get tucker'd out.
1) Introverts may have a higher default level of arousal, so that social situations overstimulate them and make them tired. In this case extroverts would be the opposite, i.e. their default arousal is lower, so they seek social situations to raise their arousal level.
2) Introverts process social situations more deeply, and therefore expend more energy in the same social situation than an extrovert would.
That's mostly implied simply from "most salespeople are extroverts". And that comes from a culture that assumes pushy selling culture actually works. Confirmation and survivor bias.
I'm an introverted salesman. Meeting new people is no big deal. Shooting the shit isn't exactly rocket science.
However, if someone _mainly_ wants to shoot the shit, there's a good chance it's an annoying sell compared to other prospects--they're just looking for a deal, or checking a checkbox, and I'm offering deeper value than that.
I can get way more mileage out of a shit shooter who has an introverted admin assistant who told them to shoot the shit with _me_ in particular. That's what I'm always sniffing out, some depth to match what I'm selling. But this is a lifestyle business for me, no quotas, etc. Has to be fun and interesting.
Now, do people think I'm an extrovert _all the time_? Some probably do, I don't know.
I carry a basic certification in psychometrics, and really enjoy this topic. When I'm working with someone who's really introverted and they "ignore the we," I consider changing my approach a bit, but first, I decide whether it's worth my time. Some introverts have developed a healthy approach to the object, so the fact that I'm selling something is just another information portal in their mind. They know it's healthy to be open to brand new ideas, to some reasonable point where they have understood the factual properties of those ideas. Others are so subjective that all they can think about is how what I'm selling reminds them of their uncle and his failed business, and the fact that he was a dangerous driver, or something. As a fellow introvert, that's sad to me because such a characteristic feeds directly into the concept of personal development. Any strength so magnified, starts to become a liability if not balanced.
To me, this was because I was completely interested in their needs, and didn't care about the company's needs. I told them the best deals and gave them the straight info while being pleasant to talk to.
In short, yes, I think introvert salespeople come off as extroverts to their customers.
Introversion and extroversion are about whether the person recharges their batteries during quiet time or in social settings, respectively. But an introvert with full batteries can be just as good at sales as an extrovert.
Introvert means focused internally. As in you're oriented around what's happening in your head.
Extrovert means focused externally. As in you're oriented around what's going on outside your head.
We all have both sides of each personality and they can even be broken downtown into many subcategories probably to the point where everyone who ever existed has their own unique personality.
I've also seen many people mistake one for the other. So I wouldn't put too much stock into what you believe yours is.
The article is BS. Author clearly hasn't spent much time with sales people.
It's easy and no big deal