EO Wonder Podcast: Why Introverts Can Outsell Anyone

On a recent episode of the EO Wonder Podcast, host Kalika Yap (EO Los Angeles) sat down in studio with Matthew Pollard — international speaker, business growth consultant, and author widely known as the “Rapid Growth Guy.”

The native Australian has built five multimillion-dollar businesses, is a sought-after speaker, and reached a global audience through his bestselling book — “The Introvert’s Edge: How Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone” — which has sold more than 120,000 copies in 17 languages.

In their conversation, Matthew challenges deeply ingrained assumptions about sales, confidence, and personality, arguing that introverts — often underestimated in business — can outperform extroverts by relying on systems, strategy, and continuous improvement rather than charisma alone.

What follows are some of the most compelling exchanges from the episode:

Kalika Yap: Tell us how can one get an edge, and why do introverts sell more than extroverts?

Matthew Pollard: One of the things that most people believe is that introverts are not naturally gregarious. They do not have the gift of gab, and because of that, they cannot sell and they cannot network. They are not the best public speakers. They are not great on podcast interviews. I believe that is absolute rubbish. The reason why introverts do better than extroverts is because we are terrible at it: So, we tend to gravitate more to systems and processes.

Kalika Yap: You had personal experience with being an introvert and also building five multimillion-dollar businesses before you were 30?

Matthew Pollard: That is right. I always felt like the slow kid. I literally fell into sales only because I lost my job before Christmas and had to go and find whatever I could get.

So, door after door after door, I just kept going until I got to my 93^rd door, and I made my first sale. The realization that really changed my life: I decided sales had to be a system. And I basically said to myself, “Well, how am I going to learn the system?” About six weeks in, my manager pulled me aside and he said, “Matt, we just got our national sales figures, and it turns out you're the No. 1 sales person in the company.” This was the largest sales and marketing company in the southern hemisphere — over 1,000 sales people — and I was the at the top.

Kalika Yap: That sounds so phenomenal as an introvert, right?

Matthew Pollard: The biggest thing that I learned is there is not a single system that you cannot learn as an introvert. Our path to success is just different. What it really took was me taking responsibility, not blaming anyone else. I did not wait for someone to teach me. I said, “What if there was a way?”

For EO members and entrepreneurs alike, Matthew’s insights offer a powerful reminder that rapid growth can be built on process, not just personality.

Listen to the full EO Wonder interview with Matthew Pollard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.