Is it true that extroverts are better at marketing than Introverts?

There are so many preconceptions around both marketing and the mistaken belief that extroverts do it better.

It reminds me of the saying ‘The squeaky wheel gets all the attention’. Being squeaky doesn’t make it better, or easier to work with.

It may mean that there are a few ways of marketing that are more suitable to extroverts, and thankfully there are also marketing activities that are better suited to introverts (more on that later). Just because introverts may be less vocal about their marketing achievements, it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.

I don’t often make assumptions, but I’ll be guessing if you are reading this you are likely to be an introvert like myself. As a marketeer, who is an introvert, yet has also worked in marketing in both large and small companies for a very long time, I know that you don’t need to be an extrovert to be good at marketing. 

You may even be surprised to hear that there are some areas of marketing that introverts excel at with their own range of marketing superpowers.

The marketing superpowers of introverts

While none of these is exclusive to being an introvert, there is research to support that these soft skills are an incredibly valuable asset when it comes to standing out more subtly and creating lasting relationships with your clients and audience through:

1) The ability to listen

You only need to look around you and realise that we live in a world where everyone is trying to be heard, that singing and screaming the loudest only wins you a place on the dancefloor. To really stand out, you can be the person who stops and actively listens, as introverts we are great at listening.  We take in what our customers are saying and we can have conversations like no other. 

In a world where everyone is talking, listening is a completely underestimated yet unbelievably valuable superpower.

2) The ability to connect more deeply

If one of the most important skills is listening, this often results in the ability to develop deeper more meaningful connections with your audience and customers. 

When was the last time that someone truly heard what you were saying and in turn was able to deeply connect with you and the issue/discussion? If someone did, I am sure it was memorable. When someone listens and understands us, they speak our language which in turn resonates with us.

It feels authentic, which in turn builds trust. If we are going to do business with a company we want to trust them. Building that connection and understanding your customer not only builds that trust, but it also is much more likely that will be reflected back in the quality of the work that you do together. 

3) The ability to be customer-centric

As introverts, we don’t need (want or desire in the slightest) to be centre stage. That means we are more than happy to put our customers and projects in that spotlight. We want them to succeed and are less precious on the credit or accolades that come along with our own success.

We listen, connect deeply, have an understanding of our client’s challenges, and aspirations, and let our desire to be of service to others come out in the work that we do for and with them.  

4) Thoughtful deliberation

An introvert might need a bit more time to mull over an idea and may need to sleep on some of the work they’ve done, copy they’ve written or double-check the research that supports their work. 

Often this deliberation may not make them the loudest or fastest, however, the work and time taken is a deliberate pause, and as a result, the work will have extra depth and the ability to connect and engage audiences on a whole new level.

5) Letting no problem goes unsolved

I have no idea why but introverts have an uncanny knack for problem-solving, no matter how long it takes or how much effort is needed. If you have a business issue, they’ll come back with as many or more solutions as you ever thought possible.  

That time spent reflecting, going within, and walking in nature gives them the space to stop and think.  This has value, and as introverts, it is good to honour that.

One reason that they are good at problem-solving is also due to their creativity.

6) Imagination and Creativity

Taking time alone to recharge, and being content in their own company helps them to create space for their thoughts, as well as for their creativity and imagination. This creativity may help them to recharge, and may express itself through the arts, but also their work and ability to problem solve and put themselves into someone else’s shoes.

7) Empathetic writing/ speaking skills

As introverts tend to spend a good amount of time listening to people in general as well as their clients, understanding what makes them tick and being empathetic to the goals, aspirations and challenges they face.  This makes it much easier for them to hear, speak to and create work, messaging, and marketing content that resonates with their audience.

The real goal of marketing

Marketing your business isn’t talking about yourself or endlessly going on about your own products and services. 

It’s about knowing and connecting with your clients, building solid relationships, understanding their business what they are looking for, and working with them to provide the products or services that they are looking for.

Marketing is providing the opportunity to do business, and then helping you both to decide in a comfortable way whether doing business together is a good fit.

Sales is the moment where the selling happens, and marketing is simply the journey that gets customers to that moment. But not by manipulation or cunning or some form of trickery, but rather by building trust and authentic relationships with your customers. 

Which, introverts are pretty good at!

What marketing is best suited for introverts?

Not sure if you’ve heard there is a small exodus movement on social media, that is however building by the day. Not sure if it’s the tiresome algorithms or just that the owners of the networks are so disconnected from the audience’s wants and needs.

Either way, social is not the only marketing activity out there, just because many people think that it is, doesn’t make it so.

There is a variety of marketing that you can do to connect with your ideal customer. Everything from a sign on your office to Pay-per-click ads or email marketing.

There are a few that are especially suitable for introverts, although it may vary depending on your business and the ideal customers that you are trying to reach.

Here are a few options that are well-matched to the introverts superpowers listed above:

Content Strategy / Blogs or Podcasts

As introverts really know their customers and understand the concept of being helpful, creating content that is relevant and resonates with their audience is a relatively easy task. While this is a slow burner, as it takes time for blog posts to get traction, once it’s created if it’s evergreen content it’s there and useful for your audience – forever, or as long as you like.

Another perk is that it is also something that you can do alone, and you don’t need to do it at any particular time of the day. It is helpful if you aim to set some goals around consistency, as only doing two blog posts a year won’t cut it. For instance, I aim to do one every two weeks but am equally happy if I get one done a month. Most importantly this strategy fits it around when you have the time and the energy. 

Email Marketing 

Believe it or not, like it or not, email is still one of the best marketing tools, especially for introverts. As an introvert, we understand why too many pushy emails or unsolicited emails are not appreciated. We know what will be of value to our list, and if a lovely human being has been kind enough to give us access to their inbox, we’ll do our utmost not to take advantage of that privilege.

So a useful, helpful, sharing email or valuable nurture email automation will engage your audience rather than overwhelm them. The key is to have your emails be as personalised and useful as possible. 

This is another marketing activity that you can do on your own time and schedule for the future, so it’s something that you can work into your schedule and batch as needed.

Public Speaking

Ok, I see you are already rolling your eyes at this one, and about to click the close button. I too would never have thought that I’d ever, ever, ever stand on a stage and speak to an audience of strangers. But hear me out, if you had the choice at an event to either a) go up and try to meet and have a good conversation with all your ideal customers at a conference, or b) have all your ideal customers come up and introduce themselves to you, what would it be??

That is the power of speaking at a conference and I’ve seen it work firsthand. I am shy and introverted, so at a conference, I normally just end up speaking to other introverted suppliers, which when I worked in sales was a complete waste of time. When I did decide to start speaking, on a very niche subject that was only relevant to my ideal customers, I’d have them lining up to get the USB and whitepaper off me afterwards. As a result, I left with everyone’s business card and meetings lined up over the next few weeks. I know that I would have never managed that without having done my presentation.

As introverts we know our audience, we have well-thought-out solutions, we are passionate about what we do, and with practice, anyone can excel at it. While it is unlikely that you’ll enjoy it, you can still be good at it. 

p.s. I am in the process of making a course on this, so stay tuned.

Word of Mouth

Such an underestimated marketing tool, it’s free too. Yet, we wait for people to refer us out of the kindness of their hearts, or after we’ve done endless years of good work for them. It never hurts to ask after you have worked together, and you know they are happy with your products/ services, simply ask ‘Do you know anyone else that could benefit from xxxx [end result of what you offer]?’

Depending on your products/ services you can also offer a referral fee or a discount for your customer and the person they referred. Really there are no rules here, make them up, and see what works for you and your customers. 

The best thing about word-of-mouth is that your client wouldn’t refer you if they weren’t happy with the work that you are doing. Also, it is likely that whoever they do refer is someone like them that also needs and would appreciate your services. It may feel a bit awkward the first few times you ask, however, if done in the right way and you see positive results you’ll know it’s well worth it.

Collaboration/ Partnership

This is often overlooked, and not often spoken about. However, as an introvert who likes to get to know the people they do business with well, it’s an ideal marketing tactic. 

Ideally aim to collaborate with businesses and referral partners whose products/ services complement your own. For instance, if you are a business coach, perhaps there is a business advisor that you could collaborate with. Or if you are a business advisor for small businesses, you are likely to want to be able to recommend a suitable web designer, lawyer, or accountant to your clients, should they need or ask. In a true form of collaboration these partners then also refer customers to you.

This is a perfect way to be helpful to your clients and get them the most suitable services which in turn helps their business succeed, and it also helps you find suitable customers that are looking for and need your services.

It is best to work with businesses that you know do a quality of work similar to your own, where you both have similar values and ideal customers. 

Introverts really do make excellent marketers

As an introvert, we may need to look at marketing differently, it is simply the opportunity to build deeper connections with our audience, to listen to them and see them as the lovely people we enjoy working for and with.

We don’t need to pretend to be extroverted or follow unsuitable courses and do underhanded marketing tactics. This type of marketing feels inauthentic and makes us believe that marketing is not something we are good at or want to do at all.

We don’t need to be dancing on TikTok, or calling attention to ourselves if we don’t want to. The beauty of running your own company or realising that you are an introvert is that you can do it in the way that suits you, and your customers.

Your customers will appreciate you being your most authentic self, whatever that looks like, in a world of 7 billion people, there will be those that resonate and love you for it. 

Our biggest challenge is, to be honest with ourselves and use the highest levels of discernment when we get told a false narrative, like those that we see telling us that there is one marketing solution that will have us making 6 figures in one month. Is that even really our only goal? And if they are making so much money why are they selling us on the idea?…  

The moment we can get real with ourselves, our products and services that we are passionate about, our marketing and then our customers, well, then my friends, anything possible!

Here are a few recommended resources if you’d like to learn more, and uncover a few ways that you can market your business as an introvert:

Podcast: Marketing for Introverts
Podcast: Marketing your Business without Social Media
Book: Marketing like we’re human, by Sarah Santacroce

Photo by Juja Han on Unsplash
Photo by Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash