What your handwriting says about your Sales personality

by Shannon F.

Your handwriting can be a window into your personality, or it can simply make you wish you’d focused harder on staying in the lines during penmanship class. Many experts believe that handwriting can predict personal inclinations, professional attributes, and even chances of success. Take it with a grain of salt, but here is what your handwriting could say about your selling style. (For example, if your handwriting is large, close together, and sloppy, you may be a gregarious and people-oriented salesperson who focuses on the big picture.) Scribble something on a piece of paper and see where you stand.

Small handwriting. Do you tend to blend into the wallpaper wherever you are? It could be your choice of sweater, or maybe you just have small handwriting—a sign of introversion. Microscopic writing may mean that you don’t have a big, boisterous personality, but it could also indicate that you are detail-oriented and meticulous. If these traits apply to you, you may be struggling in sales—a field where outgoing people with a big-picture perspective tend to thrive.

Large handwriting. Often a sign of outgoing individuals, big handwriting could indicate that you have a larger-than-life personality and enjoy being the center of attention. As a salesperson, you likely excel at chatting up contacts and making new connections. Just don’t forget to step out of the spotlight every once in a while and truly listen to your prospects and clients.

Cramped, close-together handwriting. Relationships are likely important to you if you tend to write with little space between characters and words. As a salesperson, you are warm and fuzzy; you excel at forming close personal connections and following up. The good news: when you go on appointments, you come off as highly interested and involved. Just be careful not to smother your clients and prospects.

Widely spaced handwriting. If you leave large gaps between letters, words, and sentences, you probably need your space in the workplace, too. You’re best at inside sales and appointment-setting, where you can keep your distance from prospects and clients while (hopefully) being your charming self from afar.

Dark, bold handwriting. If you press down hard on the pen to create a darker stroke, you are likely a confident salesperson with strong convictions. You believe in yourself and your products, and you are probably pretty successful as a result. Warning: this personality type may include stubbornness or even aggression, so try to remain flexible and open to others’ input.

Faint, barely-there handwriting. While we would have to confirm with your therapist, you may be suffering from self-esteem issues if you hardly press down on your pen at all. As a salesperson, you may second-guess yourself, apologize too much, or even discount heavily to make up for perceived inferiority. Don’t be wishy-washy when it comes to your product or service—if you are assertive and confident, success will follow.

Sloppy handwriting. If you can’t be bothered to form your letters neatly and completely, it’s probably because you’re worried about more important things. Sloppy writers tend to be fast-working salespeople with no time for the small stuff. Just make sure your carelessness doesn’t extend past your handwriting.

Painstakingly neat handwriting. Maybe you had a strict Catholic school education, and perfect handwriting is simply engrained in the core of your being. Or it could be that you are focusing too hard on details that don’t matter—like forming a flawlessly elegant ‘P’ for perfectionist. Unless your goal is to have a font named after you, handwriting this neat isn’t going to help your career objectives. Make sure your performance isn’t suffering because of your insistence on getting everything just right; sales is an improviser’s game, and that means occasionally throwing convention to the winds.

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