Who communicates best?
Yes, I claim introvert. I think that I’m an introvert who’s learned how to do extrovert stuff.
You see, for a long time, I thought being an introvert was being quiet and being an extrovert was being loud, and therefore I was an extrovert. Then someone pointed out that it’s how you recharge, how you get your energy. So personally, while I love talking to people, I find it draining. After I’ve given a long talk or delivered a long session, I’m exhausted. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it, I absolutely love it, but it drains me.
An extrovert, on the other hand, will feed off that energy. Good for them. So as an introvert, what techniques can you use to be great at communicating?
Well, the first thing is to realize that you’re not worse at communicating because you’re an introvert, it is simply a different style. And of course, no one fits entirely into one or the other all the time, we switch depending on the situation.
But as an introvert, you may need longer to process information, let people know that if they’re going to ask questions, you’re going to take a moment, you’re going to think about it, you’re going to consider it. As long as they can see that you’re doing that, you’ll be fine.
Your style is your own; recognize that it is an introvert style, that it’s maybe slightly quieter, maybe not quite as interactive, and you’ll see that your style and your communication power and ability is just as great as anybody else’s.