Can Sensitive People Really Succeed in Marketing? You Bet!
Do you think and feel everything more deeply? If so, then you might be one of the 20 percent of people who fall into the category of being a highly sensitive person (HSP). HSPs are a subset of the population who are high in a personality trait known as sensory-processing sensitivity, or SPS. Those with high levels of SPS display increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli—pain, hunger, light, and noise—and a complex inner life.
Highly sensitive people pick up on more stimuli within and around them. Some studies share that an HSP brain is more active in areas related to attention, emotion, action-planning, decision-making, and having strong internal experiences.
Here’s a quiz to see if you are HSP
How do you know if you are HSP? Here’s some classic traits:
You can be very empathetic and sense other people’s feelings.
You see meaning and purpose - your work can feel like a calling rather than a “job”.
You tend to freeze under pressure and can be over-stimulated if you don’t manage your day-to-day tasks.
You can take things personally simply because you react strongly to situations. Many times HSP feel like there is something wrong with them and that can lead them to deny their gifts and traits.
You notice what other people miss, you are always paying attention to your environment and pick up on all of the senses.
As someone who identifies as a highly sensitive person, I remember a time back in 2016. I was running my web design business at the time and was struggling with marketing. The advice I got was to jump into social media and basically do the kind of marketing that made me want to scream: put myself on video and be someone I wasn’t. Can you relate?
So what did I do? For many years, I tried to follow the mainstream, non-HSP way of marketing.
Showed up on social media that felt wrong (it didn’t work anyway!)
Made videos of myself where I wore a mask and pretended to be someone else
Sent emails to promote myself, *a fake version of myself*
Forced myself to be visible when I felt like crumbling inside
Showing up to too many networking groups and spreading myself too thin
Ran launches with elements of false scarcity
A few years ago, it hit me. I realized all of the above was wrecking my emotional well-being and not helping my business.
One change was I began to write more heartfelt newsletters and blog posts. I started to connect with referral partners and showed my true self. I stopped posting on Instagram and put more energy into LinkedIn, a platform that’s great for introverts and HSPs!
I also started encouraging my clients to do the same and they were eager to hear it. Other marketing leaders DON’T encourage or give you permission to be yourself, and can lean into unethical practices and create a pushy, sales-like atmosphere.
Don’t get me wrong, It’s vital to understand that you do need to put yourself out there as a business owner when it come to marketing and it can be uncomfortable. But having to wear the mask and be someone you aren’t isn’t (and doesn’t) attract the right people.
Also, feeling like you have to be an influencer or use sneaky tactics to win over clients isn’t ok. This is why I am specifically helping and working with clients who identify as highly sensitive.
Highly sensitive folks (or even if you lean that way a bit) know that hopping off social media, be authentic, taking things a bit slower, and connecting to people is vital. Being a HSP business owner can be a bit of a challenge, but you don’t have to do it alone. Lean on people like me to help you find your way in marketing.