Since the publication of Susan Cain’s 2012 bestselling book, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” introverts have become downright popular. What used to be stereotyped as the quintessential shy, socially awkward personality type, introverts have now become a force to be reckoned with, albeit in a quieter, less social way than their extroverted counterparts.
There have been thousands of articles written over the past few years extolling the traits and benefits of introversion, explaining how the more solitary and reflective types among us (myself included) can thrive in business and leadership, in school settings, as parents, and even in dating. If you’re curious, BuzzFeed has more than a dozen quizzes available to test just how introverted you might be.
Who are the introverts? Cain defines them as people having a preference for “a quiet, more minimally stimulating environment.” They are typically individuals who listen more often than they speak and are generally more avoidant of risk. Small talk can be a nightmare for many introverts because it lacks depth or any real connection. Introverts value having a smaller number of close relationships over several casual acquaintances, and they want their work to be meaningful.
So when it comes to a field like public relations – one that, by definition, relates to the public, is there room for the introverted personality type? It might be easier to imagine a classic extrovert – with their naturally outgoing and social personality – in a PR role. After all, extroverts are the folks who typically have no issues working a crowded room or trade show booth, or making cold calls to strangers and easily building a rapport for their clients. Make no mistake – extroverts are absolutely a critical part of a PR team. However, I would argue there are few career choices better suited for an introvert than public relations.
Take these common introvert traits, for example, and how they can be applied to PR:
Listen and think before you speak. Journalists work under tight deadlines and need answers and information quickly – this is the nature of our business. But all too often people prioritize reacting quickly or loudly or first, rather than reacting thoughtfully. Working too fast is how careless mistakes are made, and in PR, those mistakes can end up on the evening news. Consider that in the vast, vast majority of situations, there’s always time to pause and think critically.
Embrace the calm. This is key in crisis situations or in times when patience is running thin. The last thing a stressful situation needs is a sense of panic and anxiety folded in. Since many introverts are more subdued and less reactionary, they can bring a sense of calm to a crisis. Many years ago during a performance review, a manager described me as “the office hostage negotiator” because I was able to diffuse tense or challenging situations and keep my teams focused on their immediate priorities, rather than getting distracted and spinning a crisis situation out of control. It’s only recently I realize that accolade was due largely in part to my being an introvert.
Quality over quantity. One of the worst practices in PR is the “spray and pray” mentality toward media outreach. This is when a company blasts out a press release or email pitch to the widest variety of media possible, hoping that someone, anyone, will bite and cover the news. I suppose the logic here is that your message (in theory) reaches more people, but are those people actually reading your news? Do they care at all? Introverts tend to prefer having close relationships with a few people rather than with many acquaintances. I would argue having close, long-term relationships with your clients, your news sources and your influencers is vastly more effective than casually “pinging” thousands of contacts every week.
Be prepared. For introverts, preparation is everything – it ensures we’re able to speak thoughtfully and offer something meaningful to the dialogue. In PR, preparation is also critical – it’s the main differentiator that ensures a client nails an important interview or speech, and that your account teams are well-informed about activities, budgets and priorities. I personally find “speaking off the cuff” to be tremendously stressful because it means I often don’t have time to adequately research what I’m saying, prepare my key points and think critically about my argument. Think about potential issues and questions in advance to ensure you have the right materials and resources for the task at hand. The more prepared you (and your client) are, the stronger the end result will be.
In conclusion, being an introvert doesn’t mean you’re shy. Or socially awkward. Or an asocial hermit. But it does mean that you value time alone to regroup and re-energize. It also means that you more often listen before speaking, particularly in a large or unfamiliar setting. This thoughtful, arguably more personal approach will serve introverts well in an industry like public relations – and make them a valuable part of any PR team.
Are you an introvert working in PR? What do you like most (and least!) about it? What are your biggest challenges? Tell us here in the comments.