You have the passion to start your own business with the ideas you want to accomplish. Are you uncomfortable interacting with others at networking events? Do you take advantage of your unique characteristics in business? How do you sell yourself to your clients and customers? Do you feel comfortable marketing yourself and your business? Do you feel confident enough to interact with new clients and customers? Are you able to attract new clients and customers when you give a speech or presentation on the needs and wants of new prospects?
Do you know that 10-15% of introverts are motivational speakers? Did you also know that another 10-15% of introverts are salespeople earning six-figure incomes? Have you found that one piece of the puzzle that can move your business forward is your personality?
Having an introvert personality does not have to be stressful when interacting with people. It is not always easy being an introvert and a business owner! There are several things you can do to help succeed and not feel as challenged because you are an introvert.
When prospecting, marketing, networking, and building a business, many people believe that they need to be talkative and have great social skills in order to succeed. However, this is not the case. Success is reserved for those who take advantage of their unique characteristics. Although having social skills helps, there are many people with different degrees of personalities and abilities who also succeed.
Being an introvert in today’s business environment is more challenging than ever before. It takes a lot effort for introverts to network, prospect, and sell their products and services. Many times introverts need to force themselves to mingle and talk with others even though that really is not their nature to do so. Here are seven tips for you to put your introversion to use for your success.
1. Focus on Your Strengths: Even though introverts, in general, are great at analyzing, problem-solving, and being creative and innovative, as well as having wonderful listening skills, they need to identify their strengths and weaknesses. List your strengths and weaknesses on paper. Read them and think about them. Some weaknesses are actually strengths. Leverage these strengths and weaknesses – skills, talents, knowledge and abilities – to get the positive results you want.
2. Believe in Yourself: Win the battle in your mind first. This takes place by:
(a) Mindset: As Napoleon Hill stated in his book, Think and Grow Rich, “If you can conceive something in your mind and believe it to be true, then you can achieve it.” The more you believe in yourself and your abilities, the more likely you are to accomplish your goals. This means that you will be able to take risks and be creative and innovative in reaching your goal(s). Maintaining a positive attitude also helps keep your mindset open with possibilities and opportunities.
(b) Self-Confidence: To succeed in business, you have to be able to communicate your ideas to others. In order to sharpen your competitive edge, you must use more people skills. As long as you take the focus off of yourself and put it on your clients/customers by asking relevant questions that will help solve their needs, your self-confidence will increase.
3. Be Visible: Normally extroverted employees get higher visibility and seem to be more successful than their introverted peers.Even though introverts may dislike being in the spotlight or the center of attention, they can use this to their advantage. The thought of interacting with others may not be to your liking. Networking for introverts can be done first by introducing yourself to others, then by asking questions about their business. At times, introverts are advised to fake it-walk into a room with confidence instead of walking in looking like an introvert. Do this enough times and it will start to become natural.
4. Develop Your Elevator Speech: When you focus on yourself, you become more self conscious. This makes you less comfortable and confident. Instead focus on your message to other people. Write down all the things that come to your mind about what you do and how you work. Your elevator speech needs to contain the hook-phrase you use to capture the attention of the listener. They will remember the words you spoke if you speak from a point of filling a need.
5. Get Comfortable Talking to Groups: Once an introduction is made, the challenge of beginning a conversation must be attempted. It is a good idea to always have some open-ended questions ready, that is questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no, so the conversation can continue without you having to keep asking questions.
6. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize: Look for networking opportunities to obtain business in social situations wherever you go. You never know at what point someone may need the specific product or service you offer. In the short and long-run, when people contact you, it shows that you have a product and or service they want. In making contact with them, you have the opportunity to make that prospect your client/customer for other things you offer.
7. Take Action: Now that you have the basics of how to succeed in business as an introvert, your next step is to use these tips in order to become a better sales person for your business. It may seem like a simple idea but it can take a lot of time and work to get there.
Think of Your Beliefs + Your Actions = Your Success. As you put your systems in place, you establish and maintain what works and what works well for you. Applying these tips will help you achieve the results you want.
Success is yours – Take It!