Sales for Introverts: How to Sell When You Hate Selling
Sales for Introverts: How to Sell When You Hate Selling
8 Strategies For Marketing Success
On the surface, solopreneurship seems like the introvert ideal. The ability to work from home, set your own schedule, and avoid small talk is a match made in heaven. The problem, usually, comes down to sales for introverts.
There’s something inherently slimy about sales. Think about it; when was the last time you felt relieved to receive a cold call from a pushy stranger? How about being stalked by a sales assistant when browsing a store? Or my personal favorite, when you’re accosted at the mall and pressured into sampling an expensive skin cream you have no intention of buying?
The reality is, no one likes to be pressured into buying something they don’t need or want. It feels pushy and invasive. The trouble is (and sorry to state the obvious, but) to be successful in business, you have to sell.
Challenges of sales for introverts
Sales for introverts can be extra tricky because it tends to go against our nature. Many of us are shy (though not all) and don’t do well with traditional marketing methods, such as cold-calling or networking events.
When I first started my own business, a well-meaning colleague suggested I attend a networking event where I could pitch my business and showcase my products.
Umm .. no!
As an introvert, the thought of standing before an audience is panic-inducing. Likewise, the idea of mingling with a crowd and trying to ‘sell’ myself makes my inner turtle want to slip back into its shell and stay there forever.
We need to focus on other (less 'extroverty') strategies to succeed at marketing.
Mastering sales for introverts comes down to focusing on our strengths. Most introverts tend to have great entrepreneurial qualities, including:
- High creativity.
- Great organizational skills.
- Attention to detail.
- Excellent planning skills.
- Problem-solving abilities.
Luckily, many of the modern digital marketing strategies play to our strengths and those that don’t come so naturally to us can be pivoted.
Sales for Introverts Guide
1. Research
Any good marketing campaign starts with research - lots of research! Thankfully, this doesn't have to involve human interaction and tends to fall within our natural skillset. Besides, I also kind of enjoy this stage 'cos I'm a nerd.
Here are some tools I use to conduct keyword research:
Google Search
Google Search is a free and easy way to check what people are searching for. Simply type a search query into the search bar and see what Google adds as automatic suggestions in the dropdown menu.
Also, check out the 'People also ask' and 'People also search for' sections.
Keywords Everywhere
Keywords Everywhere is a Chrome extension that is great for finding longtail keywords. What I like about it is that it shows you the global search volume for each keyword.
Keywords Everywhere is only available on a yearly subscription but the Bronze plan is all you need to get started. It currently costs $27 dollars a year ($2.25 per month) and gives you 100,000 credits a year.
1 x keyword = 1 x credit - so it lasts a long time. Just remember to switch off the extension when you're not using it to conserve your credits.
Semrush
Semrush is a fantastic tool for conducting all sorts of research. I like it because it's both thorough and easy to use. I use the Keyword Magic Tool to tell me information such as search volume (per country), keyword difficulty, and consumer intent.
Tip: Semrush is expensive but you can get a 7-day free trial to conduct keyword research. Just remember to cancel the free trial before you are charged!
MozBar
MozBar is a Chrome extension which displays domain and page authority scores. This is useful for assessing the competition of a particular keyword and determining how easy it would be to rank at the top of listings. The higher the score, the more authority a website has.
2. Content Writing
Writing tends to come naturally to introverts so it seems like an ideal place to start. There are several routes you can take down this path and I recommend blending them all.
Blogging
Based on the keyword research, you conducted, create blog content on your website that is relative to your product or service. Showcase your knowledge and expertise and demonstrate that you’re an expert in your field. Provide value that goes beyond the norm and covers all bases.
Make sure to use lots of internal linking to create a content stream that flows from article to article. Include statistics, images, infographics, and anything else that adds quality to the article.
Guest-Posting
Submit guest posts to high-traffic websites relevant to your niche. Conduct a Google search by typing ”Write for us + your niche”. For example: ”Write for us + digital marketing”.
Include relevant links to your website (if allowed) within your article and in your author bio. This creates high authority backlinks, which signifies to search engines that your site is credible.
I also write content on medium.com. Medium is a platform that pays writers based on member 'read- time’. You can either self-publish or pitch to publications with lots of subscribers and high engagement.
Medium is great for gaining exposure, growing an email list, and building a community. Be sure to respond to comments and engage with other writers.
Forums
General forums such as Quora and Reddit are great for showcasing expertise and also for researching opportunities within your niche. Search for relevant topics and answer questions. You can add links to your website within your author bio, but avoid spammy self-promotion within your answer.
Search to see if there are specific forums dedicated to your niche. This is where your potential clients/customers are hanging out and actively looking for solutions to problems you might be able to solve.
For more Content Ideas, check out this article - 21 Types of Content That Converts.
3. SEO
SEO stands for 'Search Engine Optimization'. In layman's terms SEO means optimizing a webpage so that it can be found easily in search results based on a particular keyword.
It gives you the best chance of getting eyeballs on your website. Let's face it, you could have the best content/ product/ service in the world, but if no one can find it, it's useless.
The SEO landscape is changing rapidly due to the rise of AI search tools, and over the next few years, the focus will shift more and more to GEO ( Generative Engine Optimization). However, marketing experts still stress the importance of a strong SEO foundation in preparing for the changes.
It takes time to see the results of SEO, but if executed well, it should pay off in the long run.
4. Video Marketing
I know what you’re thinking; if this is an article about marketing for introverts, why on earth would I suggest video marketing?
I get it most introverts are uncomfortable in the spotlight, but there’s a method to my madness.
The power of video marketing is too huge to ignore. Check out these stats from Wyzowl:
- 82% of video marketers say using video has increased web traffic.
- 84% said the use of videos in their campaign directly increased sales.
- And 87% of people have been convinced to buy something after watching a video.
Thankfully, there are ways to embrace video without having to put yourself on display.
Depending on your business model, I still recommend presenting your own videos. It helps to showcase your brand, build relationships, and establish trust.
However, you can make entire videos without having to show your face or record your voice. These days, faceless videos are super popular and AI voices can be generated from a text script.
5. Email Marketing
Email marketing is without a doubt, one of the best strategies to grow a business. According to research conducted by Litmus, email drives an average ROI of $36 per dollar spent on email campaigns in the USA - that's a whopping 3600% ROI.
An email subscriber list is sacred.
Why?
Because anyone who is on your email list has already shown an interest in you, your business, product, or service. They’ve already made an investment just by giving you permission to contact them by email. This means you can build a relationship with your subscribers and hopefully, establish trust.
But how do you get people to sign up to your email list?
You offer something valuable for free.
Opt-in offers
Opt-in offers ((AKA lead magnets) come in many formats; checklists, e-books, cheat sheets, and quiz results to name a few. The main things to remember about opt-in offers are:
- They should be valuable and do as they promised.
- They should provide a simple solution to one problem.
- They shouldn’t be used to aggressively upsell.
- Their main purpose is to establish trust without a high investment.
From there, you can design automated email campaigns to welcome new subscribers, launch new products, and provide updates.
Below is an example of an opt-in offer taken from Meera Kothand.com. She offers a free email course in exchange for an email address.
Many people recommend ‘Cold-Emailing’ - sending emails or pitches to hundreds of potential clients online. This might be a good approach for some people, but I don’t recommend it for two reasons.
Firstly, as an introvert, I don’t like the idea of reaching out to people who might be irritated by a stranger pestering them. Call it fear of rejection, but I feel that emailing someone randomly is an intrusion of their privacy. I mean, it’s much less terrifying than cold calling, but still…
Secondly, the strategy is bound to be less effective because it’s less ‘relevant’ to the target audience.
Think about it, if someone actively gives you their email address, it’s because they’ve already shown an interest in your product, service, or knowledge. They’ve already opted into something you’re offering.
You’re not just throwing darts in a dark room; you’re targeting people who are more likely to become paying customers in the future.
6. PPC
If your budget can stretch, ‘Pay Per Click’ advertising can give you a heads start. This is where your keyword research will come in handy again. As with organic SEO, you’ll want to start with low-difficulty keywords with a decent search volume.
Semrush’s intent tool is really useful for this stage. It shows you clearly what the most likely search intent is for each keyword -
I = Information C = Commercial N = Navigation T = Transaction
For PPC, you want to target commercial and transactional keywords because these are the searchers with the highest and most rapid buying intent.
With PPC, you’ll only be charged if someone actually clicks on your ad. However, just remember to be cautious with your daily budget. It’s better to start with very low bids and build up as needed; otherwise, it can quickly snowball out of control.
Figuring out a PPC campaign can be like a minefield. Luckily, there’s an option to set up automated campaigns, which is probably the best solution for newbies.
Advertising campaigns aren’t limited to search engines such as Google. You can also set up ad campaigns on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
Speaking of social media…
7. Social Media
This one might not always be the best strategy when it comes to sales for introverts. I’m not a huge fan of social media… It tends to drain me. In saying that, social media is a very powerful marketing machine.
As of 2024, there is estimated to be around 5.17 billion social media users worldwide. That’s a lot of potential to dismiss. According to HubSpot, Facebook and Instagram offer the highest ROI return, closely followed by YouTube and the rapidly growing TikTok.
Social media platforms can be used to promote articles, podcasts, products, causes, and services. You can create and post images, videos, infographics, and even do a live stream or webinar if you’re feeling brave!
However, you don’t always even need to create your own content. You can share helpful, funny, or meaningful content from other people as long as it’s relevant and properly cited (when applicable).
8. Outsourcing
Let’s face it, there are some things extroverts are just naturally better at than introverts; networking, presentations, and selling to name a few.
If all else fails and if your budget allows, there’s always the option of outsourcing the tasks you hate. Sites like Upwork and Fiver allow you to find freelancers for short-term jobs.
Another alternative is to leverage 'Influencer Marketing'.
A study by Matter Communications found that 69% of respondents were more likely to make a purchase based on an influencer recommendation.
Interestingly, people were less swayed by celebrity star power and more likely to be influenced by relatable personalities and experts.
Although collaborating with an influencer will cost, data from Influencer Marketing Hub shows that a bigger following doesn't necessarily equal more influence. In fact, businesses prefer working with smaller influencers rather than expensive macro-influencers or celebrities.
If the thought of reaching out to influencers makes you cringe, there are services such as 'Upfluence' and 'Aspire' to help.
In Summary
Sales for introverts can be challenging but definitely not impossible. The trick is to focus on your strengths rather than traditional marketing methods which tend to favor extroverts.
A combination of good research, creativity, consistency, smart strategy, and patience is all you need to execute a successful marketing campaign.
Do you have any marketing tips for introvert entrepreneurs? Let me know in the comments below!