Beth Buelow

So you actually just wrote an article that was connected to some research that came out about introverts, extroverts, and then ambiverts. Tell us what ambivert means and then tell us about this study. Well, remember in the beginning I talked about introverts and extroverts all being on a spectrum. And most people lean one way or the other.

So you actually just wrote an article that was connected to some research that came out about introverts, extroverts, and then ambiverts. Tell us what ambivert means and then tell us about this study. Well, remember in the beginning I talked about introverts and extroverts all being on a spectrum. And most people lean one way or the other.

But there is a group of people who fall squarely in the middle, and they're called ambiverts. So think of ambidextrous. You're comfortable riding with either hand. Ambiverts are comfortable gaining energy comfortably. through social interaction or solitude. And I often think of it as a Friday night test. So think of Monday morning. So it's Monday and you're already looking forward to Friday.

But there is a group of people who fall squarely in the middle, and they're called ambiverts. So think of ambidextrous. You're comfortable riding with either hand. Ambiverts are comfortable gaining energy comfortably. through social interaction or solitude. And I often think of it as a Friday night test. So think of Monday morning. So it's Monday and you're already looking forward to Friday.

And you say, oh, Friday, five o'clock. I can't wait to walk into my house and do what? So an introvert, most likely their default is going to be, I can't wait to decompress. I can't wait to not have to answer email or not have to talk to anybody. Yeah, I have to go to something on Sunday, but that's okay. I have the next few days to rest and gear up for that.

And you say, oh, Friday, five o'clock. I can't wait to walk into my house and do what? So an introvert, most likely their default is going to be, I can't wait to decompress. I can't wait to not have to answer email or not have to talk to anybody. Yeah, I have to go to something on Sunday, but that's okay. I have the next few days to rest and gear up for that.

An extrovert would be like, oh, I can't wait for Friday. I get to put on my party clothes and go out to hear the band with my friends, or I'm having a dinner party on Saturday night. The ambivert doesn't necessarily have that strong default. On Monday, they're going to be like, well, I just kind of want to see how things go. Yeah.

An extrovert would be like, oh, I can't wait for Friday. I get to put on my party clothes and go out to hear the band with my friends, or I'm having a dinner party on Saturday night. The ambivert doesn't necessarily have that strong default. On Monday, they're going to be like, well, I just kind of want to see how things go. Yeah.

You know, I don't have a default setting, you know, where I as an introvert, I don't think you would ever find me on a Monday saying I can't wait until go to that party on Friday night. No offense against the people who are giving the party, but it's just not what would come naturally. So ambiverts fall in that middle.

You know, I don't have a default setting, you know, where I as an introvert, I don't think you would ever find me on a Monday saying I can't wait until go to that party on Friday night. No offense against the people who are giving the party, but it's just not what would come naturally. So ambiverts fall in that middle.

And there was a researcher named Adam Grant of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. And he looked at – he did a personality survey to more than 300 salespeople. And then he tracked their sales records for three months. And interestingly enough, he started with the premise that it would not be the extroverts who – outperformed the introverts.

And there was a researcher named Adam Grant of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. And he looked at – he did a personality survey to more than 300 salespeople. And then he tracked their sales records for three months. And interestingly enough, he started with the premise that it would not be the extroverts who – outperformed the introverts.

He figured that introverts would probably do better, and he was proven right. But what he also found was that people who fell in the middle outproduced them both. So those ambiverts did better than the introverts, and the introverts did do better than the extroverts. Actually, let's see, ambiverts earned 24% more sales than introverts did, and 32% more than extroverts.

He figured that introverts would probably do better, and he was proven right. But what he also found was that people who fell in the middle outproduced them both. So those ambiverts did better than the introverts, and the introverts did do better than the extroverts. Actually, let's see, ambiverts earned 24% more sales than introverts did, and 32% more than extroverts.

And what he posited was that the ambiverts can naturally engage in this really flexible dance between speaking and having enthusiasm and talking with the prospect and then being quiet and listening and asking questions and just creating a great spaciousness around the conversation. Those were the people that were the most successful.

And what he posited was that the ambiverts can naturally engage in this really flexible dance between speaking and having enthusiasm and talking with the prospect and then being quiet and listening and asking questions and just creating a great spaciousness around the conversation. Those were the people that were the most successful.

And so they were persuasive, they were influential, but they weren't pressuring people. again, a very spacious kind of environment for that conversation. So I think introverts can take heart in that. Number one, that success in sales doesn't just belong to the extroverts, and that you can cultivate some of those ambivert skills. And for introverts, that means being confident.

And so they were persuasive, they were influential, but they weren't pressuring people. again, a very spacious kind of environment for that conversation. So I think introverts can take heart in that. Number one, that success in sales doesn't just belong to the extroverts, and that you can cultivate some of those ambivert skills. And for introverts, that means being confident.

And I hesitate to use the word bold because it implies that the opposite is timid. I don't think that we're timid in sales conversations, but we can kind of hold back questions or hold back thoughts because we want to process them or we want to save them and we think, oh, I can just follow up later.

And I hesitate to use the word bold because it implies that the opposite is timid. I don't think that we're timid in sales conversations, but we can kind of hold back questions or hold back thoughts because we want to process them or we want to save them and we think, oh, I can just follow up later.