First Aid For Introverts
Acolytes of the Myers-Briggs personality profile project that 51% of Americans are introverts.
And even introverts in the nonprofit marketing biz face days when they must undertake that most dreaded chore … sell themselves!
Many would say that the messenger is as important to successful persuasion as the message itself. I'm convinced that's true. In situations from internal policy debate in the White House to watching Ted Turner do his thing in many settings, I've seen dumb propositions prevail because championed by more effective presenters, and skeptical, suspicious audiences converted into true believers.
Two of the most typical “selling” situations are one-to-one schmoozing and the formal presentation to a large audience.
Here from Guy Kawasaki, a pretty decent presenter in his own right (you might enjoy his presentation here on Innovation), are two posts that might help the bashful among us. Guy is the original Mac marketer, now a venture capitalist. He's done more than his fair share of presenting, but in these posts draws on some sources he admires.
The Art of Schmoozing talks about one-on-one engagement … working the room. Hints: prepare, smile, approach the loner.
And if you're ready to graduate to a large hall full of strangers, try Speaking as a Performing Art. Hints … snarl, bite your tongue, get quiet.
Learn how to sell yourself more effectively and you will deserve a raise.
There's hope for us introverts!
Tom