Internet Marketing for the Terminally Shy

I came into Internet marketing from two businesses that couldn’t have been more different to the work that I do today.

I’d been a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman, and I’d been a disc-jockey.

Neither of those jobs have much to do with the world of blogging, website building and monetization. But they both delivered a benefit that I think have been critical to the success I enjoy now.

They forced me to interact with people.

I’m not the shyest person in the world, but I’m also not the most outgoing. Like most people, I get nervous before a talk. I’m not hugely comfortable in large groups. I’m not great at small talk although I try my best.

But I do like people. I like meeting people I’ve never met before. I like hearing about their successes, and I enjoy listening to their dreams for the future. I like talking and I’m comfortable chatting with strangers and making new friends. I assume that people are good, friendly and well-meaning unless they give me a reason to believe otherwise. When you’re knocking on doors and speaking on the radio, it’s an attitude you pick up quickly.

It’s an attitude that’s important for any long-term business success.

Building an Internet business might look like it requires only a relationship with a keyboard and a screen, a perfect solution for shy people nervous at the thought of meeting others. That’s always been wrong but it’s even more wrong now in an age of personal branding and social media marketing.

To create joint ventures that work, you have to find people you trust and who trust you.

To understand what’s happening in your field, you have to know who else is operating in it and understand what they’re doing.

To make customers want to buy from you, you have to let them know you and believe in you.

You have to build relationships with people — and that’s true even for the shyest of people.

You can post links and comments on Twitter, but you also have to ask questions, react to other people’s tweets and take part in conversations.

You have to attend conferences where you can meet other entrepreneurs, swap ideas and start building the connections that lead to joint ventures and partnerships.

You have to be willing to turn strangers into friends — and friends into customers.

Everyone is shy to some degree. But everyone also has friends with whom they feel comfortable and at ease. Reach out and start building those connections, and you’ll soon find that you not only have new friends, you also have a successful business.