Introverted but can do marketing

This post was like a pin point on how I felt over years when I shifted my focus on contributing to marketing from coding. So much vibe -sync with this post. thanks to the author — Nicole Holland.

Marketing — what comes as first thing to us when mentioning it

The big bill boards — which shouts to us on road sides about the product.

The PR activity — say in a mall or a event which involves human interactions and talking and selling.

One on one client meeting — which involving talking to a human and selling to him/her.

So as a introvert or sometimes moonlighting ambivert, all the above means Human interaction, not exactly in the first one. But largely so. Some of us gets energised from being with others, and others need small doses of others to be energised. This quantity can be very very subjective. For some it could be minutes for others it could be few hours or may be days. Where do I stand, it all depends on the day, how prepared I am and who the other person is. :).

All through my early years of career I was made to understand that being to self isnt a great idea. As they said I am loosing out on opportunities without networking or leading a team needs hell lot of human interactions and so was urged to up the game of being social. Which can fall flat for someone like me, as it goes against the how we are wired.

We like to contemplate in silence on a topic, yes I do agree we might create a mind map which can look like a forest at the end. But that how it is!
We get our energies from being alone, not that we can’t and don’t excel in social situations, but it’s just not where we refill our battery. We like doing it ourselves, in our way. Self reliance and being less codependent may be. Can we extoll ourselves to be so?

We love imbibing, that means listening and analysing and may be making reams of notes. But isnt that what a marketer should be ? Listen to your requirements and analyse and bring out a strategy. Just asking if Its not understood well. Just yapping away the benefits of our services or the products’ benefit is marketing or rather partly sales. Isnt analysing and coming out with a strategy also part of marketing. Ofcourse it isnt the most glamouros of them all, because there is no show and tell in these. We might be in a corner, with our noise cancelling earphones and stooped in a document or notes. But not all jobs needs to be something to boast on a social media post. We may not have numerous social connections to boast off too.

We like to dwell on a topic, do some deep-diving into it, and ofcourse get lost in one of the whirlpools there. If not dead we would surface, trust us and with a pearl of marketing, we promise. That is what we call meaningful contributions from dwelling on a topic deep enough to understand all the angles of it. As you call it 360 degree view! How can someone yapping away have even a view! Just asking!

Introverts are more kinesthetic, they tend to be more introspective and can “feel” how marketing works. Yes these feelings can be swaying as well. We feel too much to be swamped by it. But we do our empathy work and get out and we are emphatic enough to your needs of a output too. So have a tad bit patience. In those ways we have heightened perceptions as to how marketing is going to land and matter to people.

Communication is also about listening and knowing when not to speak. Discretion, as to give the client a written well thought out plan which encompasses all his requirements and how to go about reaching out to the audeince . In a way would say, extroverts, lets work with each other and there is loads we can teach eachother. We need both of us in marketing, not either/or. One size of character fits all in a work environment isnt gonna help. Diversity and inclusion of all and more important not labelling of any of the characteristics can be of help to allow growth.

“If you label me, you negate me?” — someone wise said. I wonder how many like me felt or feel negated in a work environment because of labels like — sole contributor, not a team player, Introvert, Not social enough or many more.

brainstorm, planning, making strategies and all.

Introverts are so misunderstood that they have developed cognitive dissonance about themselves.