Introverted Business Owners: How to Work Smoothly With Extroverted Clients
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Marcia Yudkin
Apr 23, 2013, 10:00:07 AM4/23/13
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Please consider this free-reprint article written by:
Marcia Yudkin
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Article Title: Introverted Business Owners: How to Work Smoothly With Extroverted Clients
Author: Marcia Yudkin
Word Count: 667
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=922311&ca=Marketing
Format: 64cpl
Contact The Author: http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=922311
Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=922311
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Taking a long look back, I'm pretty sure that 60-75% of my clients are introverts. I generally have an easier time dealing with people who share my preferences for careful thinking, privacy and to-the-point conversation. However, I value my extrovert clients as well, even when we get into a minor tug of war over whose tendencies rule our interactions.
If you�re an introverted professional working with extroverted clients, here are five tips about for staying on keel with your opposite number.
1. Extroverts enjoy spontaneity. Extroverted clients like to call you up with a new idea they haven't thought through at all, for your feedback. This can wreck your concentration when you're working on projects for other clients - or indeed, on the very project the interrupter hired you to perform. They'll blithely keep on doing this unless you set firm limits. You could have a policy that clients get just one unscheduled call a month. You could watch your caller ID and let their unscheduled calls go to voice mail. Or you could listen and always respond, "That's interesting. Let's set up a time to talk it through." Whatever you do, be totally consistent, or an extrovert will conclude that using you as an all-purpose sounding board is a valid part of your role.
2. Extroverts talk in wide circles. Your extroverted clients like to think out loud, and they can go far afield from their starting point unless you prompt them to focus on what is most relevant. Without showing signs of disapproval at their behavior, simply insert questions or reminders like, "And what exactly is the problem you wanted help with today?" or "You said you wanted to ask me something about the Pinsky proposal."
3. Extroverts value "get to know you" opportunities. Just as extroverted clients tend to think interactively, they prefer extensive social interchange before hiring someone. Reading someone's A+ qualifications and zillions of testimonials is not enough, although strong recommendations from a mutual friend may be. One potentially lucrative client engagement that came my way never got off the ground because the contact setting up the arrangement insisted on a full hour of phone schmoozing prior to making a decision, and I explained that that had to be a paid consultation. That was OK, I told myself - there was probably a severe personality mismatch there that would have derailed the relationship had we gone ahead.
4. Extroverts divide their attention more than you do. With your preference for one-on-one conversations, you may get annoyed when extroverts accept phone calls, check for emails, start side conversations with passersby or wink at people across the room. In their mind, they still are paying attention to you. If you truly need them to be talking with you without distractions, get them into a setting where interruptions can't intrude.
5. Extroverts may need more reassurance. Extroverts want everyone, including you, to like them and approve of them. If you don't actually like one of your extroverted clients, don't feel obligated to pretend you do. But otherwise, praise them and smile at them whenever you can, as this makes a big difference to their confidence. You may feel surprised when, deep into the project they've hired you to complete, they ask for reassurance that they're on the right track, or they act hurt when you criticize something they've done, even though that's part of your professional role. Sandwich negative feedback between positive statements, and they'll be much better able to absorb your point.
If you set limits and turn on genuine friendliness with an extroverted client whom you like, you can have a mutually satisfactory relationship. One client who is a champion schmoozer and loves to run half-baked ideas by me pre-paid me for a batch of consulting hours and uses this time for feedback on ideas he�s never yet put into action, but he�s happy with the arrangement, and so am I.
About The Author: A bookworm as a child, Marcia Yudkin grew up to discover she had a surprising talent for creative marketing. The author of 15 books, she mentors introverts to discover their uniquely powerful branding strategies. Learn more about the strengths of introverts: http://www.yudkin.com/introverts.htm
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=922311
*********************** ARTICLE END ***********************
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Message delivered directly to members of the group:
publish-the...@googlegroups.com
*****************************************************************
Please consider this free-reprint article written by:
Marcia Yudkin
*****************************
IMPORTANT - Publication/Reprint Terms
- You have permission to publish this article electronically in free-only publications such as a website or an ezine as long as the bylines are included.
- You are not allowed to use this article for commercial purposes. The article should only be reprinted in a publicly accessible website and not in a members-only commercial site.
- You are not allowed to post/reprint this article in any sites/publications that contains or supports hate, violence, porn and warez or any indecent and illegal sites/publications.
- You are not allowed to use this article in UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email) or SPAM. This article MUST be distributed in an opt-in email list only.
- If you distribute this article in an ezine or newsletter, we ask that you send a copy of the newsletter or ezine that contains the article to http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=922311
- If you post this article in a website/forum/blog, ALL links MUST be set to hyperlinks and we ask that you send a copy of the URL where the article is posted to http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=922311
- We request that you ask permission from the author if you want to publish this article in print.
The role of iSnare.com is only to distribute this article as part of its Article Distribution feature ( http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php ). iSnare.com does NOT own this article, please respect the author's copyright and this publication/reprint terms. If you do not agree to any of these terms, please do not reprint or publish this article.
*****************************
Article Title: Introverted Business Owners: How to Work Smoothly With Extroverted Clients
Author: Marcia Yudkin
Word Count: 667
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=922311&ca=Marketing
Format: 64cpl
Contact The Author: http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=922311
Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=922311
*********************** ARTICLE START ***********************
Taking a long look back, I'm pretty sure that 60-75% of my clients are introverts. I generally have an easier time dealing with people who share my preferences for careful thinking, privacy and to-the-point conversation. However, I value my extrovert clients as well, even when we get into a minor tug of war over whose tendencies rule our interactions.
If you�re an introverted professional working with extroverted clients, here are five tips about for staying on keel with your opposite number.
1. Extroverts enjoy spontaneity. Extroverted clients like to call you up with a new idea they haven't thought through at all, for your feedback. This can wreck your concentration when you're working on projects for other clients - or indeed, on the very project the interrupter hired you to perform. They'll blithely keep on doing this unless you set firm limits. You could have a policy that clients get just one unscheduled call a month. You could watch your caller ID and let their unscheduled calls go to voice mail. Or you could listen and always respond, "That's interesting. Let's set up a time to talk it through." Whatever you do, be totally consistent, or an extrovert will conclude that using you as an all-purpose sounding board is a valid part of your role.
2. Extroverts talk in wide circles. Your extroverted clients like to think out loud, and they can go far afield from their starting point unless you prompt them to focus on what is most relevant. Without showing signs of disapproval at their behavior, simply insert questions or reminders like, "And what exactly is the problem you wanted help with today?" or "You said you wanted to ask me something about the Pinsky proposal."
3. Extroverts value "get to know you" opportunities. Just as extroverted clients tend to think interactively, they prefer extensive social interchange before hiring someone. Reading someone's A+ qualifications and zillions of testimonials is not enough, although strong recommendations from a mutual friend may be. One potentially lucrative client engagement that came my way never got off the ground because the contact setting up the arrangement insisted on a full hour of phone schmoozing prior to making a decision, and I explained that that had to be a paid consultation. That was OK, I told myself - there was probably a severe personality mismatch there that would have derailed the relationship had we gone ahead.
4. Extroverts divide their attention more than you do. With your preference for one-on-one conversations, you may get annoyed when extroverts accept phone calls, check for emails, start side conversations with passersby or wink at people across the room. In their mind, they still are paying attention to you. If you truly need them to be talking with you without distractions, get them into a setting where interruptions can't intrude.
5. Extroverts may need more reassurance. Extroverts want everyone, including you, to like them and approve of them. If you don't actually like one of your extroverted clients, don't feel obligated to pretend you do. But otherwise, praise them and smile at them whenever you can, as this makes a big difference to their confidence. You may feel surprised when, deep into the project they've hired you to complete, they ask for reassurance that they're on the right track, or they act hurt when you criticize something they've done, even though that's part of your professional role. Sandwich negative feedback between positive statements, and they'll be much better able to absorb your point.
If you set limits and turn on genuine friendliness with an extroverted client whom you like, you can have a mutually satisfactory relationship. One client who is a champion schmoozer and loves to run half-baked ideas by me pre-paid me for a batch of consulting hours and uses this time for feedback on ideas he�s never yet put into action, but he�s happy with the arrangement, and so am I.
About The Author: A bookworm as a child, Marcia Yudkin grew up to discover she had a surprising talent for creative marketing. The author of 15 books, she mentors introverts to discover their uniquely powerful branding strategies. Learn more about the strengths of introverts: http://www.yudkin.com/introverts.htm
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=922311
*********************** ARTICLE END ***********************
- To distribute your articles go to http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php
- For more free-reprint articles go to http://www.isnare.com
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