Can You Still Succeed in Business as an Introverted Highly Sensitive Person?
Hiking in mountains! My happy place :)
Being an introverted highly sensitive person (HSP) can affect the way you run your business in many ways.
Maybe you find that traditional marketing channels fuelled by fear-based practices make you want to pull your hair out on certain days. Or, you’re looking around at what everyone else is doing and feeling like you’re behind in some way.
Sometimes when we see our peers on the go with new offers and products we might wonder if there’s more we should be doing. I mean shouldn’t we be working 12-hour days to push our business forward?
The truth is that there is no right or wrong way to create your business. You can design a business that works right for you in a way that doesn’t stress you out further and creates calm and joy while nurturing your inner self.
As a result of my more sensitive and introverted nature, I’ve had to adapt the way I run my business to be energetically aligned with what fills me with excitement. In a way, my business feels like a creative outlet that nurtures a higher form of self-care. So that when my head hits the pillow each night, I’m genuinely just happy and looking forward to the next day.
In this article, I’m going to be exploring the different ways an introverted highly sensitive person can build a sustainable and successful business.
Ready? Let’s do it! :)
Things you can do as an HSP in business
Focus on serving fewer clients well rather than taking on multiple projects at a time
Taking on multiple projects at a time can become overwhelming or even an emotional rollercoaster that can impact your creativity. While some people can thrive on juggling various deadlines, for HSPs it can at times lead to fatigue and burnout.
In my business, I focus on one client at a time while I’m doing the build of the website. Each design experience is 2 weeks and during that time my clients have my undivided one-on-one attention. When I receive my client’s email, it moves to the top of my priority list and I don’t do anything else until I have their questions answered or edits completed.
Sometimes this can lead to saying no to potential clients that don’t feel aligned. I’ve found that it’s better to walk away from a project that doesn’t feel energetically a good fit than to say yes, only to push through it to get it done.
Remove fear-based tactics
You’ve probably heard the classic marketing strategies born out of pain points and chiming in on your ideal clients' fears to generate sales. This is how I originally learnt about sales, copywriting and marketing.
While I still think it’s important to get to know your clients on a deeper level where you understand their motivations and desires, using scarcity and fear as a tool to complete a transaction hasn’t felt right for me. It’s also not something that’s come naturally to me either.
It seems counterintuitive to me to build a business that feeds on fear but at the same time aims to foster an abundant mindset.
Instead, I aim to empower clients to succeed in the essence of what makes them uniquely who they are. Where they’re excited to work with me rather than reacting due to FOMO. This has helped to create stronger and more sustainable relationships.
“Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t.”
You might be thinking, what if my business doesn’t grow as fast? What if I have a slow month?
Someone recently told me the saying that a lot of chefs use in a busy kitchen. “Slow is smooth. And smooth is fast.”
In other words, when you’re in a kitchen and there are multiple orders to get out, get one thing right, do it well and move on to the next thing. And, keep repeating. You’ll find not only are the orders fulfilled, the standard and quality is also retained.
It requires courage to go against the grain. However, building a business that’s right for you can help to sustain your lifestyle over the long run.
Choose your teachers and mentors intentionally
This is something that I’m going to be more intentional about as my business grows. I’ll continue to invest in myself and my business so that I can provide more value. Although investing in courses and coaches that can help me in a way that’s true to who I am will be even more important to me.
While there are a lot of amazing business owners out there doing things the traditional marketing way, I’ve found it can be easy to get frustrated when those strategies just don’t work for you.
When choosing the right course, coach or mentor, think about what it is about the person’s way of teaching that resonates with you.
Can they identify with your needs, and desires while helping you create a path that’s authentic to you? Do you find yourself pressured to buy from this person without having the time to think through your decision?
Trust your intuition, feel free to ask questions and don’t be afraid to walk away if it doesn’t feel right for you.
Final thoughts
For introverted highly sensitive people, your natural empathy can help you build stronger relationships with clients that can translate into a beautiful and successful business. Allow yourself to go at your own pace. Focus on what’s unique to you and how you can best use your gifts to serve your clients.
Having your own business can be a gift. For HSPs it’s a gift that only you can give in your own unique way.
I hope you've found some inspiration and encouragement here today to walk to the beat of your own drum and thrive on your entrepreneurial journey. :)
Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
