Most people fall somewhere in the middle of a bell curve of introvert and extrovert and this might mean you are an ambivert.

Why would this matter?

As far as communication preferences, it means an ambivert naturally balances talking and listening, and has a more flexible communication style.

In the 1998 MBTI® Manual the reference of a USA National Representative Sample identifies the introvert (I) and extrovert (E) population breakdowns: (E) 49.3% and (I) 50.7%.

According to Adam Grant, Ph. D., organizational psychologist of The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, ambiverts are the new sales ideal. Ambiverts have it over extroverts and introverts.

If his assumption was correct, it would be in regards to one of the key business communication skills, which we will investigate in Chapter 9, Power Tools of Influence, Persuasion, and Selling, where it means ambiverts trump extroverts in this area. Maybe you have heard that extroverts excel in sales? Be prepared to be surprised.

And how is this beneficial for the introvert?

In an interview Grant stated, "My findings suggest that less-extroverted people may be missing out on productive careers," he said, "and hiring managers may be missing out on star performers."

Grant's study confirms that innate introvert skills also found in the ambivert, like listening and being less apt to be overexcited, add more value to a successful sales process.