Extrovert or Introvert?

Just because I can't seem to get enough of Dan Bennett humor right now, let me start with one of his videos in which he proves that a brilliant scientist can be a funny extrovert and talented juggler.

I'm not like Dan Bennett. Sure, I can throw a grape in the air and catch it with my mouth about every other time, and I can juggle three tennis balls for a few seconds before one bounces away, but I'm talking about another difference.

I'm not an extrovert. "What?" you may ask. "Aren't all people in sales extroverts?" Actually, many are, but I'm not. Despite the fact that these endless written monologues may appear to reveal an extrovert, I'm actually what is known as an interested introvert. That is to say that I am very interested in everything, and as such, I don't tend to dominate conversations when introduced to new people.

Contrary to what you may believe, this actually makes me a good salesman. No, I can't go up to a stranger and talk him into buying something he doesn't need or want. I can't sell something I don't believe in to unsuspecting people based on the power of my charisma and overwhelming charm.

What I can do is better, in my opinion. I can listen. As the old saying goes, God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. I listen more than I talk. When someone calls me up to ask about cruise prices, my initial reaction is not to throw out some deceptively low price, dazzle them with bullshit and then do a bait and switch before they know what hit them. My approach is to learn what it is they really want.

If all they want is a price, there are dozens of websites for that. Most likely, I'll be right in line with the competition, although if someone else happens to have held the last sale priced room on a given cruise, there's nothing I can do about that. My hope is to be the first and last one called, but regardless, I always need to get the prospective client to open up about what he or she wants, which frequently is not exactly what they called about.

My objective in that conversation is to be given the opportunity to briefly introduce myself and what I can do but mostly to learn who this person is and what she really wants. A cruise or land package that I represent may exactly fill the client's desire, but I am not egotistical enough to believe I have something for everyone. Sometimes it is simply not available, and other times, perhaps the client is looking for a travel product which I may consider too ripe with risk, like extremely low priced land/air combos which I know will have lousy air schedules and accommodations, leading to client dissatisfaction, which is not a reputation I want. In fact, it would cost me sleep, and life is too short for that. My hope is that upon learning about my clients and their ideal vacations that I can help them find the ones best suited to them at excellent value.

I don't believe in using pressure of any kind. What I offer may or may not be right for you, and only you can make that decision. All I ask is that you keep an open mind, and at the end of our meeting tell me honestly if you think the cruises and packages I have to offer may meet your needs.

Where in the world would you like to go?