I recently wrote about how to improve your business as an extrovert, and naturally, I knew the next logical question was going to be “Well, that’s great for extroverts. But how do I improve my business as an introvert?” Introverts often times seem to think they are at a disadvantage in business. Fortunately, that’s not true at all.
Now, I should state that I am not an introvert. However, my virtual assistant is an introvert and many of my coaching clients are also introverts. They’ve given me quite an education about how introverts function and how one can improve their business as an introvert.
Understand what an introvert actually is.
In my blog about business as an extrovert, I mentioned how it’s not a personality trait but rather a temperament. It’s the same thing with introverts.
Contrary to popular belief, being an introvert is not about being shy or being a wallflower. My virtual assistant is certainly not shy. Instead, it’s just the way someone is and how much energy is used up around other people. It may take my virtual assistant a lot more energy to be around groups of people than it does for me (I thrive being around other people), however, I can guarantee that she outshines me in more intimate settings.
By understanding your temperament, and also understanding that there’s nothing wrong with being an introvert, you can begin to move toward improving your business as an introvert.
Plan for alone time.
Introverts may need more alone time to recharge than extroverts do. Whereas I get more energized around groups of people, an introvert may feel more drained.
Unfortunately, often times running a business does require you to be pretty out there and attend events which can seem draining. This is where scheduled alone time can really help you improve your business as an introvert.
Focus on more intimate settings.
Introverts can do really well in more intimate settings. In fact, one of their super powers is that they are far better listeners and connectors than extroverts in so far as they take their time to formulate their thoughts and connect better in one-on-one settings.
So perhaps improving your business as an introvert looks like attending smaller events instead of giant conferences. If you do have to go to a large conference, then make sure you’re scheduling in time to recharge your batteries.
Give yourself a purpose.
My virtual assistant recently traveled to a conference with me where she explained quite a bit about how introverts can better function at large events.
One thing she mentioned was how she felt more comfortable interacting with other people if I gave her work to do. She explained that if she feels like she has a purpose, then it’s less draining for her to be around large groups of people because she’s there for a specific reason.
The good news is you don’t have to wait for someone to give you a purpose because you can give it to yourself. For example, in the book “Quiet”, by Susan Cain, she mentions how introverts can network by focusing on helping just one person while they are there.
This gives them a purpose and they are able to hone in on their super power of being great at one-on-one connections. These two things alone can help you greatly improve your business as an introvert.
Are you an introvert? How do you run a business as an introvert?
