The Quiet Achiever
Success Secrets for the Introverted Entrepreneur
Whilst selling yourself in business is vital, self-promotion for the introverted entrepreneur can be particularly difficult. We live in fast paced World where so much business advice is built around extroversion; to be heard you need to be loud and visible, finding comfortable alternatives to this type of self-promotion can be challenging.
For the quiet achiever, those noisy networking functions can be difficult, you feel that you have to be there, but you end up standing in a corner on your own feeling very uncomfortable.
An introverted businessperson is not shy; they just don’t like small talk and like to reserve their energy. In fact the good news is there are actually more quiet achievers than extroverted ones.
The trick is to self-promotion is to harness your natural strengths. As an introverted entrepreneur you have excellent researching skills, a natural affinity for writing, are very creative and have great problem-solving skills. For you, building deep, genuine relationships on a one-to-one level is very important and therefore your ability to ask meaningful questions and empathetically listen is a virtue. You also have good time management, are well organised and punctual. By using these natural strengths you can promote yourself very effectively, especially with the explosion of the powerful tools provided by the Internet.
Self-Promotion Tips for the Quiet Achiever
Proven Promotion Strategies for the Quiet Achiever
1.Make your networking opportunities more comfortable.
It is important to attend some networking events in order to promote your business but you can make them more bearable by doing some of the following:
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Seek out one to one interactions – look for others standing on their own, they are probably quite achievers too. Ask questions to find out what they are passionate about and you won’t be able to stop them talking.
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Volunteer to help out at networking events – this is a great way to meet everyone especially if you are on the front desk and you won’t have to think what to say.
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Take time to recharge. It’s OK to sit quietly in the corner or pop outside for a short time.
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Set goals around connecting with people (only have a goal to meet 3 or 4 people).
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Write a thank you note after each encounter.
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Practice your elevator pitch beforehand.
2. Use the Internet to your advantage.
The Internet is a fantastic way for quiet achievers to put their ideas and words out there. Websites, blogs, emails, newsletters, podcasts, videos and an active presence on social media are all activities that fit in nicely with the introvert’s skill set. They are crucial for you to market yourself and increase your business following and network.
3. Create a strong personal brand
As an entrepreneur, you should use your skills to provide your market with something that will solve their problems and make their lives easier. As an introvert, you can use your attention to detail, one-on-one people skills, aptitude for listening and intense empathy to find out exactly what the problem is and then promote your solutions using the same set of skills.
Finally, the best bit of advice I received was:
“Break Your Comfort Zone Everyday"
You’ll feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but it will be worth it!