Research the person before meeting.
You’re not alone if you hate prospecting, meeting new customers, or interacting with people you don’t know. It’s a common dilemma among introverts in particular, and many small business owners are introverts.
The problem this poses for the introverted shop owner is that interacting with customers and prospects is an essential part of business survival and growth. But fear not, there is a lot of advice you can access to help overcome this issue. One source is Beth Buelow’s book The Introvert Entrepreneur. Here is just one passage of advice from Buelow . . .
“We have a treasure trove of mobile information at our fingertips, often right in our purse or pocket. I highly recommend tapping into it in advance of any event or meeting you’re attending. If there’s someone you’re interested in meeting, visit her website, check out her social media profiles, and even read a few blog posts or articles to get a stronger sense of who she is. Use web-based information to build a bridge between online and off-line.”