Overwhelming Success for Solopreneurs

And the winner is...

Thanks to all who answered the In Tandem 2010 Wish List survey.

The winner of the book drawing is Birgit Olson of Focused On Your Business Virtual Office Assistance LLC, www.focusedonyourbusiness.com

Birgit has received her choice of one book from my Introvert’s Ultimate Reading List. Wanna know what she picked? OK, I'll tell ya: Introvert Power: Why Your inner Life is Your Hidden Strength by Laurie Helgoe.

Curious about the reading list? You can find all the book titles right here on the sidebar.

Introverted Solopreneurs: What's on your 2010 wish list?

When was the last time you asked for what you wanted? 

When was the last time someone else asked YOU what you wanted? Well here’s your chance to tell me what you want from me and my coaching services, products and programs for 2010. I want to provide coaching that gets you the results you want, in the way you want.

I am a big-time advance planner, so I am thinking about 2010 now. I want to offer products and programs we can all be excited about (me excited to create them; you excited to receive them). However, despite all appearances to the contrary (ask my former clients) I am not a mind reader – so I need your help:

Please take some time to answer my short survey. As a further incentive, one respondent will be chosen at random (I will physically write each name on a piece of paper and ask hubby Alexander to draw a name out of a real, live hat!) to win a book of her choice from my Introvert’s Ultimate Reading List (see the blog sidebar on the left for the list of book titles).

Answer the survey now

Your survey responses will be anonymous, so after answering the survey, send me an email with the subject line “I took the survey” so I can enter your name in the drawing. (You will be reminded to do this at the end of the survey; email address is on there also.) Drawing will be on or about Dec. 15, 2009.

And, OK I am also interested in hearing what's on your wish list for 2010 that is non-coaching specific. What goals, dreams, aspirations and achievements do you want in 2010? Let's share in the comments below.

Ignore the labels

I read some advice from a business coach that really ticked me off: it advised coaches to “stop hiding behind your telephone and computer…” OK, so perhaps I am being oversensitive, because I do spend a lot of time in front of my computer and I prefer coaching by phone. The thing is, I am not hiding!  I spend the bulk of my business time on the computer because:

1) I like it.

2) I am not limited by geography – I can connect to someone on any continent.

3) It’s where I expect to “find” a lot of the people I want to serve: fellow introverts who aren’t too keen on attending large group events.

So it makes sense to me to do things the way I do them. My business model makes sense to me.

As for the telephone, heck, if I had things my way I would hardly ever use it – I like email better. I like the asynchronous functionality of email. In other words, as an introvert I really appreciate and prefer a communication medium where I can see (I’m a visual learner) rather than hear what a person has to say, and where I have the opportunity to read it, process it and compose a reply in my own time.

Email vs Telephone

I have coached clients both over the telephone and via email, and I have not yet decided what is the optimal medium of the two. I would say it depends on both the particular client and the particular issue(s). There are times when email is too cumbersome, where I need to have that “dance” with the client in real time. There are times when the client needs support or has a quick question and can’t get the privacy or time to make a phone call.

Live and In Person

That said, I do see a benefit of delivering coaching in person for those clients and those situations where it better serves the client. I plan to offer some retreats in the future, just for that purpose. In planning the retreats I will keep in mind who I serve: introverts, so it will be either one-on-one or very small groups.

My point: I’ve noticed that introverts, by following their own preferences, get mislabeled. Hiding is one such label I’m tired of hearing. Yes our preferences can result in our being overlooked or not noticed – but that does not mean we don’t wish to be discovered! (Well some of us don't, but many of us do). Rather than change your behavior, I suggest you find creative ways to get noticed, ways that work with your introvert preferences. (As I discover such creative ways, I’ll be sharing them with you – it’s a work-in-progress for me also).

So are you hiding or are you being your introvert self? Only you know the answer to that one. Can you do your thing effectively in a manner that makes sense to you? If so, carry on and ignore the labels.  Live your life so that it makes sense to YOU!

Your Thoughts

So my fellow introverts, what do you think? What are your experiences? Do you find that you have to extrovert to get noticed? Do you extrovert and feel inauthentic at the same time? Are you perfectly comfortable with your introversion (as I am) but tired of reading advice that tells you that you need to be someone who you are not? How do you like your coaching delivered: email, phone, in-person? Please share by writing a comment.

Entrepreneurial Strategies for the Introvert in You

Note from Joanne: I've invited Patricia Weber (a fellow coach, fellow INTJ and one of my role models) to share some business tips specifically for the introverted entrepreneur. As introverts we have some challenges unique to our temperament. Pat has a wealth of knowledge and years of experience working with introverts in their business challenges. When I have a question or want some advice, she's the first one I turn to, and I am honored to be included in her circle of colleagues.  Read on, implement, and enjoy:

Save Time and Effort

Imagine you plan a trip from your home to another part of the country. You’ll travel something like New York City to Seattle. Do you think you would select just one route? I know I never do. There are things I need to consider: Would it be better to drive or fly? If driving, how can I get in other visits? If flying, what are the connections? Just like there are many ways to travel from one place to another, there are many ways to entrepreneurial success as well. Oh certainly, there are some foundational basics. But as an introvert, to find that route, the best coach or marketing system or online strategy, we want to travel with less frustration and an easier go of success.

1. Seek balance. For years in corporate America my sales and marketing training was mostly an extroverted approach combined with a time when “assert your self” was a marching slogan. My personal introvert style is assertive anyway yet a problem in the approach was little balance. It was 4 to 6 hours of cold calling a day, followed by a happy hour with the sales team, ending on a Friday with an even longer happy hour. It was exhausting. It was out of balance. If you want a fast track to push yourself in ways you might never do on your own, it’s possible an extrovert business strategy is just the kick you need. Just check in with yourself first.
2. Avoid “cookie cutter.” If you were making cookies to celebrate Halloween, would you pull out the cookie cutters for Christmas trees and angels? If any “system” looks like it’s a cookie cutter with promises that this is “the” system for everyone, then run the other way. While some tactics to marketing are fundamental, the strategies will need to be different, even tailored, for a company, product and people. Almost all offerings these days offer some preview. Take your time, get past some of the marketing hype and again, feel or see how the ideas resonate with the introvert in you.
3. Check for farmer or hunter. In marketing and sales, introverts are more like what Joe Nunziata calls farmers: we develop relationships over time. You might meet a number of people and then make a decision about which relationships both can add more value and get value for you. This is contrary to the approach of the hunter: go from one sale to the next in record time. If the sales style of the “one best” business system sounds like it might not have the right focus for you, you’ve probably just been caught in a hunt style program.

Introverts know energy. Hearing one size fits all is a first clue it’s may just take your energy away or not give you more. Why? Because traveling only one way doesn’t mean it’s the way for you.

When you think about a coach, a marketing system or some business strategy to help your entrepreneurial business, use your analytical introvert strength to find what will:

• Give you balance
• Suit your style
• Support your farming nature

Then whether you drive or fly you’ll know which route is the best for you.

Be sure to check out Pat's latest ebook: Debunking Negative Introvert Myths: Bringing Your Introvert Strengths to the Party. This (affiliate) link will take you to a page where a FREE 32-page excerpt is available, so you can try before you buy. BTW Yours truly is mentioned in the excerpt!

Comments are always welcome. Did you find the post useful? Would you like to see more guest posts? What's your challenges as an introverted professional?