How to Market when you are an Introvert!

An extovert like my husband gathers energy from well-peopled events, while introverts like me find them overwhelming.

When we attend shows, or parties, or meetings together, he splashes around the surface of the great communal pool with glee, literally basking in its chlorinaded warmth.

I, on the other hand, dive under the surface, offering energy to drowning victims and lost children, listening to calls for help.

When we return home, I crawl into my hovel to recharge for days and days while he admonishes me, yet again, for being such a downer.

This can be a huge problem when it comes to selling a direct marketing business. "Talk to everyone you meet in the grocery store!" my company admonishes. "Hold two or three parties a week!" they instruct. "Attend conferences!" "Set up a trade show booth every six months!"

This extroverted marketing plan overwhelms me. It doesn't fit my style. Does this mean I must change my style or opt out? Must I give up prospering as a business person because their marketing style does not suit who I am?

I joined the company because I truly believed in the product. For me, it wasn't about cruise incentives or selling at all. It was about making people aware of the opportunity and giving them space to figure it out on their own, as I did.

Is there a place for an introvert in a direct marketing company?

I believe there is, but only if I take charge and run it my way, playing to my strengths. I need to evaluate what I like to do in my business: publish my own books and help others publish theirs. This will open the door to where my market lies- in places where people want to publish their stories and don't have a clue as to how to manage it.

If I consider where I am comfortable, in educational settings and social service organizations, with artists and in writer's groups, then I can focus my marketing strategy to encompass these areas. Instead of approaching people cold, I can qualify them by inviting them to a class. And in that class, I can offer a service whether they purchase a publishing credit from me or not.

In this way, I will feel good about my work and feel I have helped others, while making a living.

So, the answer to my question is NO, an emphatic and heartfelt NO! An introvert need not cocoon and emerge an extrovert. An introvert is perfectly capable of making sales that suit her introverted nature.