Tips and Advice For the Not-So-Social (Read: Freaked-out-in-front-of-people) Entrepreneur

It doesn’t matter if you aren’t that talkative, ever smiling, social butterfly. Not all of us have witty and fun remarks at our fingertips, no matter how much we want to shout them out to the world.

It’s okay if you inconveniently get dumbfounded in social settings, especially when required to talk or pitch. Look at me, I’m at my chirpy best when at home or with some friends, but totally mum when it comes to group discussions. Not because I don’t have anything to share. But I just don’t know how to put my thoughts OUT THERE.

Hi. I’m the CEO of.. Err.. What’s the name of my startup again?

Nerves. They get you in their clutches when you are least expecting them. Even after hours of practice and tons of prayers you may end up forgetting your pitch. That moment when you are tongue-tied in a room full of smart people? Not cool. Makes you seriously doubt whether you did the right thing starting your pitch, or even starting your startup (We all have those days people!)

So how exactly can an entrepreneur, one who has to sell their idea and deal with multiple investor/customer/co-worker meetings everyday, break out of their shell and charm people away? What to do when you are faced with a possible pitching situation and are nudging your co-founder to do the talking?

If you’ve decided to start a startup, you can’t live the rest of your life under a rock.

Sorry for being too blunt and saying it out loud. There is absolutely nothing wrong in being socially shy. In fact, the biggest geniuses in the world have been introverts. However, with the fiercely competitive world out there, if you don’t get started on building your dream right now, someone else would.

When you are passionate about your dream, just take a deep breath and start telling the world about it. You’ll stumble once or twice and forget the lines, but eventually you WILL get the hang of it.

Take Baby Steps

They say that practice makes you perfect. And this is perhaps the best advice you can get when it comes to polishing your social skills. Start talking to people about your product, explain it to your friends, pitch to your grandma (best way to get the most accurate customer reaction) and always make it a point to network and meet new people. Whether you attend an event, workshop or even go to a conference, go well stocked up with business cards and brimming with energy, and sum up the courage to talk to at least 2 people about your business. Trust me, the more you talk, the more confident you’ll become and the better you’ll get in all possible future confrontations!

Get a Story in Shape

The best talkers always have some kind of story to share. Find out what’s interesting about you or your product, and begin telling your experience before you begin with your startup.

Talking about real experiences will make you feel confident, and lets you open up to the other person without getting intimidated.

Listen and Show Excitement

One great tip I got from a verrrryyyy dear friend of mine is to listen and show excitement about other people’s stories. Being a good listener can totally change the temperature in your room! Show that you are interested in what the other person has to say — nod, enquire, give suggestions or even tell a similar tale. Trust me, they’ll be equally interested to listen to your side of the story too!

Find Some Help Online

There are a number of free online courses that you can take at your leisure, with extra tips and practice skills on how to improve your communication skills.

Remember, as a startup entrepreneur looking for some recognition, you are not just putting your product BUT also your own personality in public glare. The more you improve on it and make it personable, the more comfortable will be your target audience in trusting you.

Can’t do it yourself? Hire someone who’ll do it better.

Accept that you can’t always be a one-man army. One of the key reasons why a majority of startups fail is that the cofounder(s) take too much on their plate, thinking that they know best about their business and can do everything on their own. Your startup is your baby, and yes, giving off the control of your life and soul in the hands of another can indeed be crushing. However, one can’t ignore that every person has a unique skill set and strengths. Maybe, your strength isn’t talking well but coding like a badass. So, you do your thing and let someone else do the talking for now, while you can always improve and enhance your skills as you grow.

Having people with diverse skills on a single team is always a win-win for an emerging business. With time, you can all get a hang of what each of you do, ready to switch roles whenever the need arises. For starters, it’s always best to focus on building your product and perfecting it for the customers. The rest can follow later on!