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| Flickr: Renato Gonzaga |
Being shy or an introvert would almost always discourage a person to try out a career in sales and marketing. People would always tell you off that you won’t get anywhere with being shy in sales. But, no matter what you, you really don’t feel comfortable making that small talk with people you barely know.
You don’t know how to respond to short questions that actually don’t mean anything but just to start a conversation. You’re a shy person and you tell yourself you just can’t joke around and carry on a conversation out of nowhere just like everybody else. You’ve attended countless seminars, read self-help books, to no avail.
Still, in today’s business, you need some kind of charisma or sparkle, regardless if superficial, in you to attract attention and execute a social and business negotiation. You need to speak up to do things such as arranging dates or activities with friends and colleagues, delivering presentations, presiding meetings, or closing deals and contracts.
So you need to find some way to make negotiations while still being an introvert. You need to do a sales pitch regardless if you do it in an extravagant way or just simple and hard hitting. Here’s the deal, as a shy person you don’t have to force yourself to be who you’re not. You can stand your ground while you work around the small talk stereotypes with two ways.
Strategy 1. Don’t say anything in reply but instead put on your nice smile. When someone starts making a small talk with you, you can keep quiet. That person will definitely look back at you when you don’t respond and when they do put on your genuine smile. It’s will not come as if you’re pushing them away but instead you’re just being polite in that you really don’t have anything to say to them so just simply smile.
Strategy 2. Don’t force yourself to be like the others in their opening statements and replies. Stay true to yourself and you also do make your sincere reply. You can openly say what you have in mind and then ask for what other person’s thoughts or say in the matter. You’re being honest at the same time welcoming the other side’s perspectives. Sometimes being direct and straightforward can be better than being overly dramatic and attention grabbing.
Being shy doesn’t give you a special bubble you can always stay in while living your daily life. It’s inevitable to conform to certain norms in society but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it your way. As long as you’re not being offensive or you do not have any of that kind of intention, feel free to follow your own persona. Just trust yourself and what you have to offer.
About the Author Rommel Asuit
Developing a Web Presence for my clients is my greatest "business" passion. I love talking and sharing ideas with other like minded individuals. I am the Directing Manager of a web development and Marketing firm called Crazywebs (http://www.crazywebs.net)
So if you're a business owner who is struggling with online marketing, or need someone who you would like to have a chat with to explore some possibilities, then please feel free to email me on contact@crazywebs.net
I'd like to thank Crazy Webs for the interesting article on shyness. I am a certified introvert but I have managed to overcome this with a lot of success. Anyway, I've compiled my own list of tips to further add to this:
ReplyDelete1. Research is valuable. If you're in a meeting with somebody, knowing his likes or dislikes through his social network prior is very important. Be sure to do it subtly. for instance, you've discovered that he likes soccer. Try to get a little update on the news about it. Be very very very subtle and not invasive, so you're not going to be labelled as a creep.
2. Surroundings. If you have no choice and have a need to make small talk in a jiffy, simply look around you. Art is great material for small talk. Find one and positively craft a conversation about it. Start with, this looks interesting, where did this come from, etc.
3. Don't be too invasive. Questions about the person are the easiest ways to start a conversation with somebody - just don't make it too personal. If you feel that you're straying into a dense fog of no-no topics, quickly change topic to something else.
I hope this helps. Remember, overcoming shyness starts with the realization that you are talking with someone because you wish to achieve a goal: whether it's friendship, trust or simply being amiable, small talk could take you a long way.