Sales Snack of the Week: How Introverts can Win Massive Deals

Don’t worry, introverts. You can win massive deals, too. 

That’s the claim sales executive and coach Brandon Fluharty made in a recent LinkedIn post. Fluharty argues that success in sales isn’t about being an extrovert and having great personal relationships with buyers, but instead is about deeply understanding your buyer and clearly communicating how your solution solves their problem.

Here’s what Fluharty had to share:

Tip #1: If you’re an introvert, creativity and good communication can make a big difference.

What tactics does a self-professed introvert like Fluharty use to close the deal? 

Here’s what he has to say about that:

My biggest deal for $14M came without meeting the client in person at all.

I won it, and other massive deals, by:

• Effective storytelling
• Co-designing assets asynchronously
• Writing compelling narrative docs (like memos & proposals)

All three of Fluharty’s recommendations involve being a better and more creative communicator. 

Effective storytelling helps your buyer understand the vision for how your solution will change things for the better. Co-designing assets is its own exercise in person-to-person communication. 

And writing compelling proposals is a skill that can immediately separate introverted sellers from the rest of the pack. 

Bonus Resources: Want to be a better communicator? Check out these courses from LinkedIn Learning: 

• Selling with Stories, Part 1: What Makes a Great Story?
• Selling with Stories, Part 2: Stories Great Sales People Tell
• Sales Strategy: Storytelling to Speed Up Your Sales Cycle
• Writing a Proposal 

Tip #2: Make being an introvert a strength.

Fluharty writes:

My fellow introverted sellers can gain an advantage at the top of the sales hierarchy.

You don’t have to rely on box seat tickets to the US Open, reservations to the most exclusive restaurant, or a vintage bottle of wine to win over your executive.

That’s just for show.

Instead, it’s about using your strategic thinking to build trust by designing quality business cases and interesting experiences that show the art of what's possible.

Thinking strategically and learning quickly are often strengths of introverts – and they are always strengths of great sellers. 

You don’t like crowds. So take advantage of the quiet time, and learn everything you can about your prospect. 

Bonus Resource: Great Sellers are Great Researchers. Here Are 6 Tips On What to Look For. 

Tip #3: Focus on your mobilizers. 

Fluharty begins his post with the following:

Personal relationships are NOT *that* important in sales. It’s an unpopular opinion. But after closing $50M in 4 years, I learned this: You don’t win massive deals over steak dinners.

They come by co-designing a solution with your Mobilizer (read The Challenger Customer if you’re unfamiliar with this term).

What’s a Mobilizer? They are the people that really determine whether you close the deal.

Mobilizers are people who take initiative. They won’t be fooled by fancy gifts, and they care deeply about the work they do. Because of that, they typically have a lot of credibility and play a pivotal role in deciding whether a deal gets done.

Co-designing a solution with your Mobilizer(s) isn’t about schmoozing or making friends. It’s not about being the loudest or most gregarious person in the room. 

It’s about getting buy-in through empowerment and ownership.

Bonus Resource: Unfamiliar with the concept of Mobilizers and how to best engage them? Check out this article from Challenger, which shares examples of typical Mobilizers – and how you can get them on your side. 

Summary and Takeaways

A lot of great sellers are the strong, silent type. 

And even if you’re not an extrovert, not every sales organization can get tickets to the US Open or buy expensive dinners. For every one seller who can wine and dine their prospects at that level, there are 100 more who have to survive on their wits alone – aka, their ability to weave compelling storytelling into a proposal.

You could say one is the easy way, and the other is the hard way. The easier way is, well…easier. 

But having to take the hard way is often what makes the silent type so strong. 

Remember:

1. Introverts can win massive deals and beat their more extroverted competition by finding compelling ways to tell the story of the value you’re about to deliver.
2. Being an introvert can be a strength. Use your quiet time to learn more and outthink the competition. 
3. Focus on your mobilizers. If you can win their approval, you’re a long way to closing a deal.

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