Tiffany Miller clearly demonstrates an understanding of how it can feel in the business world when even the label introvert might hold you back. In this post, You Don’t Have To “Get Over” What You Can “Go Around”, it makes you wonder if all this talk about being at a disadvantage is nothing more than – a feeling. So from my online networking at My Guest Blog, meet Tiffany’s tips.
- Sometimes it can feel like an introverted personality is at a distinct disadvantage in a fast-paced business environment. If you don’t have that “take no prisoners” attitude, you’ll just never get ahead, right? While that kind of personality can help in some cases, the simple fact is that an introverted personality has the same chances for success as someone who is far more outgoing. Common sense and dedication to your business can take you much further than a simple affinity for being comfortable in a room full of people.
Even so, should you express your concerns that your introverted nature may be holding you back you can find yourself bombarded with a lot of “just” advice. By that, I mean people will tell you things like: “Just do this,” or “Just try that,” or worst of all: “Just get over it.”
No one “Just gets over” anything. Overcoming any issues, whether it’s a tendency to be shy around new people or a habit of telling customers what you really think of them, will require a lot of effort and commitment. On the bright side, you don’t have to go over everything if there is a nice, clear path that will take you around it, and there are a few professional business resources that can help with things that are often particularly troubling.
Taking Calls
Nothing ruins a perfectly good work day like having to deal with rude, overbearing people on the phone. Sometimes it’s hard enough to deal with people face to face when you can see their expressions, let alone putting up with their rants on the phone. It’s not uncommon for people to develop an all-consuming dread of a ringing telephone.
There’s a simple way around this, though. Taking calls is a natural part of doing business, and you can’t cut it out completely, but you can get someone to do it for you. Whether you are an entrepreneur working from home or in a small office, you can get a small business answering service to take your calls, screen out the irate or irrelevant calls, and only send on the ones that are really important. This can free up a lot of your time to get on with running your business instead of answering unproductive calls.
Presentations
What could be worse than standing in front of a group of people and presenting your business plan or pitching a new product? The “just get over it” advice comes up a lot here, which may, in fact, be a little worse than the “picture everyone in their underwear” or “practice in front of a mirror” advice.
A little more practical advice is to use a good PowerPoint presentation. There are a range of business PowerPoint templates on the market and they will help you look professional (even if you don’t feel it yourself) and keep your thoughts organized. Also, a bright, shiny presentation will take their eyes off of you which can reduce a lot of the pressure.
Just Advice
If I were to leave some “just” advice about succeeding in business even with an introverted personality, it would be this: Just be yourself. You may have to work on developing some new skills and processes, any you may have to employ some new resources, but you shouldn’t pretend to be someone you’re not. That kind of act rarely fools anyone. If you are dedicated to your business and are determined to make it succeed, you can use a few of these options to go around those personal obstacles and reach your final goals.
Tiffany Miller is a mother of two from Salt Lake City, UT. Her and her husband have had many small business ventures over the years and will soon be launching their seventh website anniversaryhelp.com
I think the best advice anyone can get is “just be yourself.” With our lives pretty much an open book because of social media, we want to have a consistent “persona” in whatever the setting – in person or online. There are plenty of tools to rely on for support, as the author states, but you will always be the “essential you.”