At the root of every profession, customer service is what makes or breaks an industry. Being a people person is MUST nowadays.
I, unfortunately, have always characterized myself as an introvert. So being around people, all of the time, has never been my cup of tea.
So, I’ve learned to put myself out there. To use my abilities as a listener to understand what people want and in a non-pressure manner, share what I can do to solve their problems. People tend to respond to that very well.
Knowing how to deal with people is crucial. Especially in the age of social media outbursts. A 140 character tweet can sink your unreleased project, just because you “appeared” arrogant.
When I put on my book publisher hat, honesty and authenticity is paramount, but more importantly, providing a platforms for my audience to voice their opinions and allowing them to be heard.
The key is listening.
I’m friends with many of my readers on social media, because I want to know what irks them, what are they looking for in stories and I use that information to “fill the void.”
I also hire artists and editors from those friendships and never really need to sell my work that hard. Because I always aim to create safe spaces (might be since I’m an introvert…I like spaces…spaces to hide).
Being an introvert doesn’t have to be debilitating.
OWN IT!
Use those listening skills to solve problems!