Branding Strategy for Introverts: Tap into the Extrovert Element!
I was thrilled to be asked to be an expert guest for the live web speaker series: “Discover the Power of Teachers, Mentors & Coaches: Keeping You Accountable in Business and in Life”
This post is an excerpt from the interview that I did with Lisza Crisalle, co-founder of The International Association of Health & Nutrition Business Owners (IAHNBO).
The Branding Strategy for Introverts
While you may think that you’re marketing and trying to sell a program, product, service, course, book, or a transformation of some kind – what you’re really selling is YOU.
You are the face of your brand. Your experience, your personality, those unique superpowers that only you have. So, what you really need them to buy into first is… yep, you guessed it: YOU.
Imposter syndrome and feeling like a fraud in your business – not just an introvert’s problem
Ok, so I just told you that you’re the face of your personal brand and that might have just filled you with fear… for so many natural reasons.
But let me help you shed that for you really quickly because there’s nothing worse than functioning, both in your business and in your life, from a place of fear. Not one good decision is going to be made from that place!
There was a time when “branding” meant a stuffy-looking logo and a modular catalog of products.
In today’s online business space - and especially applicable to health & nutrition business owners, the real value of your brand is by simply being YOU, rather than appearing to be some big corporation. Click To Tweet
And your personality (your “you-ness”) needs to represented and put on display in a variety of different ways.
How you write and speak (your verbal brand), and even how you act in an audio interview or on camera holds such power in readily identifying you and most importantly, connecting you to your audience.
But, here’s what you really need to know about your personal brand:
You don’t have to be a celebrity to have a great brand, and you don’t have to be a crackerjack motivational speaker to have a great brand. Just be real, and be you.
But you’re probably saying well that’s fine, I don’t have to have celebrity status or be a professional speaker but I still feel like an imposter – and if I’m honest, I feel like a complete fraud.
Here are some other reasons you might be feeling like one:
- You’re not living your brand – you’re not walking the talk.
- You’re not staying on brand – being consistently inconsistent feeling like you’re flopping from one element to another, one strategy to another, one vibe to another.
- You haven’t found the right niche or target audience yet. You don’t want to disappoint anyone or turn anyone away!
- Limiting beliefs consuming you, like: I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t know enough, and who’s ever going to take me seriously?
- You’re a natural introvert and feel like it’s holding you back because it seems like everyone’s out there shouting their message from the rooftops on socials and you just can’t force yourself to fake it!
Remember that feeling like a fraud doesn’t mean that you are one!
Trust me, I felt exactly like this when I first started all of my businesses. It’s human nature to be suddenly struck with a case of imposter syndrome when you’re starting something new and don’t know the ins & outs of your new business.
“I have written 11 books, and each time I think ‘uh oh, they’re going to find me out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.”
~ Maya Angelou, best-selling author
As health & wellness professionals, we can be especially susceptible to this feeling of being a fraud because we think we should look, act and eat a certain way in order to be authentic and seen as the “real deal” in our respective businesses.
But, the real truth is that it’s all just noise. You do know enough, and you are good enough to share your special gifts with the world.
How an introvert can tap into the “extrovert element” and really own their brand!
So, what if you’re a total introvert and the thought of having to always be virtually socializing with your people is just one more thing to add to your pile of fears about doing just that — getting out in front of people?
Well, you can temporarily tap into what I like to call… the Extrovert Element. Think of it as having to get into character for a play that you just got cast for. It’s just a role that you’re playing and you have to learn your lines, and you have to take on certain nuances of the character’s personality.
As you learn more about your character and get more comfortable with the role, you realize that where you’re finding your motivation to play your character really well is from a hidden little slice of your own personality and it’s kind of fun allowing that part to come forward every now and then. In fact, you find it pretty empowering.
This is how I frame it when I have a coaching client who’s an introvert and they’ve shared their fears with me about feeling awkward when they have to pretend to be comfortable for the sake of “showing up” in their business.
That doesn’t mean that I encourage them to suddenly become a loudmouthed exhibitionist – as some people might associate with being an extrovert, but more along the lines that I feel most people have the ability to draw on other pieces of their personality that if tapped into, even temporarily, could be beneficial for their business!
Again, for those who are more introverted, or feeling self-conscious of the way you look in photos or video or how you sound on audio – get used to it. That IS the way you look and sound, and it’s (im)perfectly OK!
From health business mentor, Karen Pattock:
“I knew I needed to do a bit of internal work before I could move forward on [socials]. I needed to get comfortable in my own skin because I was 100% the face of my brand.
It didn’t happen overnight, but gradually over time, my confidence level grew. I became more comfortable with my image being promoted everywhere in connection with my business. I realized that my ideal clients wanted to hear from me and more importantly, work with me.
The one thing that has stayed the same is that everything keeps changing in the online business world.
My favorite way to connect with my tribe is with Facebook Livestream. It’s real, it’s timely, and allows me the chance to build a relationship with my followers that I could never do with email.
Get comfortable in your own skin, get in front of the camera, and share valuable information on a consistent basis.”
So, stop being your own best-kept secret and hiding your gifts away from the world! Marie Forleo calls this “stealing” from your people 🙂
You’ve simply got to get out there and show up frequently & consistently. Own your professional title (say it proudly!), and own your personal brand (shout & show it proudly!).
When you do this, people WILL resonate with your message, see value in what you offer, and they will want more of what you’ve got!
Why you should seek out a Business Clarity Coach or Brand Strategist (a holistic one, of course!)
– To help you tap into your special gifts and most effectively use these “secret weapons” to build your health & wellness empire with confidence.
– Also, for clarity — so you know precisely WHO your target audience is, what your unique offerings are (this is your Unique Value Proposition) and how to take all of those things into account when you’re cultivating your brand – that is going to resonate with and attract ALL the right people!
– A business coach or mentor is great for helping you shut out the unnecessary “noise”, and in guiding you to reprioritize what really matters in your business (and what probably doesn’t) so you can stay laser-focused as you move forward.
Do you need help in uncovering your special gifts – and want to gain more clarity about how to effectively use those gifts in your wellness business?
A Brand Strategy session (plus a digital audit) might be just the thing you’ve been seeking to get unstuck and move forward.