I always learn more from teaching a class than the students.  A few days ago I was instructing a class on Internet marketing.  I got a little off topic and started talking about adjusting your marketing strategy to fit your personality.  So I say something like, "one of the reasons that I do a lot of Internet marketing is because I'm actually very shy".  I'm thinking to myself, these people have no clue how shy I really am.

Little did I know......so this agent right in the front row, who I don't know well, blurts out, "Wow, I'm so glad you told me that, sometimes you are aloof and come off kind of snobby, and as it turns out you're just shy".  "Thanks for sharing".  I was dumbfounded and actually speechless for a few seconds.  And to top that, a girl in the back row who I'd never even seen before is shaking her head up and down, "yes".  Yikes, now all along, I thought that I had pretty much covered up my anxiety and shyness, at least in the office.  I try to stay involved and always add to the weekly meetings, host after work events, teach classes and mentor several of the newer agents.  So I reach deep down inside myself and seize the opportunity.  Believe me, this was not easy, and to be honest, it's not so easy even typing this.

So I apologize to the agent and said, I'm so sorry that you thought I was aloof, but the reality is that I  have a lot of anxiety when I'm around people that I don't know well.  And it's kind of strange that a shy person would be in sales, but the truth is, I've worked very hard at doing my daily calls, door knocking, building my database and networking.  I find it much easier to write letters and emails and do Internet marketing, but that's just not enough, this is a people business and you have to connect with people if you want to be successful. 

So then I look around the room and notice that I really have their attention.  They have seen a side of me that they didn't know existed and they're relating.  So I ask, "How many of you feel like you're natural born salespeople and how many of you struggle to go out and meet people".  "How many of you have anxiety too before you do your calls or door knock?"   Everyone in the class, with the exception of the agent in the front row raised their hand.  What do you know, they all considered themselves shy or had anxiety too.  So I say, "hang on one minute, I'll be right back".  I run to my office and grab a bag full of my marketing materials.  I then shared my bag of secrets with the class, things that help me to move through the shyness and anxiety.  When the class was over, several of the agents came up and hugged me and said thank you.  They said that just knowing that they weren't the only ones with fears gave them more confidence.

So that was a long segue into what I really wanted to share with my fellow bloggers.  I wonder if the people that are good at blogging are also the ones that are shyer in real life?  Have we developed our writing skills and computer skills because this is easier for us than actually making our calls, networking and door knocking?

I know that each of us has our strengths and weaknesses, but my hunch is that those of us that are comfortable writing and can spend hours at a time working on a website, SEO, or blog may not be the most social bunch.  I'm not sure about this and would love to hear your take on this subject. 

If you agree with my theory, I'd love to know what you do to overcome your fears and pull yourself away from the computer to actually connect with humans in person.  For those of you that feel balanced, what do you attribute your blogging success to?  And in general, if there is any blogger out there that feels like he is a natural born salesman and has no anxiety when meeting new people or making calls, I'd love to hear your ideas on this subject.  Are there naturally gregarious bloggers or have you learned to overcome your fears?  Or are you just acting?  What do you think?