You might have guessed that I am not an introvert. I’m lucky that by being an extrovert, I’ve been able to easily achieve some awesome things in business by standing out from the crowd and communicating strongly with other business owners. And those of you who know me personally, know how much I love to talk. I’m definitely not a shrinking violet!
Now before all of you introverts go into hiding, I have great news for you. There is no reason why you can’t be as successful as an extrovert like me. In fact, I know for certain that there are many introverted Virtual Assistants out there who are simply amazing. Working virtually can be perfect for an introvert!
And here’s a little secret – I really do have some introverted tendencies. I can often have moments of feeling overwhelmed or needing to regroup and re-energise by myself! Some of us do pull traits from both sides of the spectrum.
This month, I’ve put my head together with my beautiful mentor, Diana Pettie of Hopscotch Coaching to show you can still build a thriving business as an introvert.
Did you know that one third to one half of the population are introverts?
And it doesn’t hold them back from greatness! There have been some really famous introverted leaders such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Ghandi. There are also many Virtual Assistants out there who are introverted.
Introversion is about how you respond to external stimulation.
When it comes to creativity and to leadership we need introverts doing what they do best. It is different to shyness. Shyness is about fear of social judgement. Extroverts crave external stimulation. Introverts don’t.
Introverts love to help others shine.
They are happy to be working behind the scenes and seeing things work out for their clients. That’s one thing that makes them so fabulous! They often work with extroverts who want to be seen, who want to shine. They are the perfect match.
But being an introverted self-employed person can seem like a tough gig!
To get the client in the first place, you need to be able to connect with the client and inspire them to work with you. Seems impossible if you’re introverted right? The thought of networking makes you sweat or exhausts you just to think about. But we want to let you know what we think (because we are extroverts!). We think that by embracing who you are, and acknowledging that this challenge is actually about realizing that your introverted-ness is actually exactly what your ideal client needs, you can really kick some serious business goals!
Here are our 6 tips for maximizing your talent:
- Attend small networking events where there is also someone presenting, so you get some breathing space from the one-on-one talking.
- Don’t worry about selling and talking. Your ideal client will most likely love to talk – just ask them about themselves. When you are feeling more comfortable around them, you can let them know what you do with the bonus that you can customize what you say to really respond to what they’ve said. Your listening skills are really valuable!
- Be yourself. A business owner doesn’t have to pretend to be different to who they really are. People want to connect with you, more than a “business”.
- Look for clients who prefer to communicate via email, if you aren’t confident on the phone or face to face.
- Aim to allow the prospect or client shine so you can just do what you love to do.
- To maximize your talents put yourself in the zone of stimulation that works best for yourself.
Virtual Assistants who are extroverted often take on tasks that allow both themselves and their clients to shine. In some roles, this works great. If you are introverted, look for roles and clients where the focus is on your client and not on you. Your client will adore you – that just can’t be helped – but we are sure you’ll cope ok with that.
Think about what “I am an introvert” means for you. Does it create some beliefs about yourself? Are these beliefs limiting your success? Embrace and acknowledge that you are more of an introvert and let yourself shine.
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