Exercise #1: How introverted are you?
Glance through the traits in the table below and see which ones apply to you. Put a check next to any
traits that you know fit you.
NOTE: as you read this list, remember that there’s no “one right way” to be an introvert. Pure
introversion and extroversion are values at opposite ends of a scale, and most of us are some kind blend
of the two. But even someone who’s 80% introverted is still 20% extroverted.
So don’t be surprised if you find yourself ticking at least a few extroverted traits as you go through!
Introverted
Extroverted
Energised by spending time
alone and reflecting
Energised by interacting
with other people
High internal activity level –
too much external activity can be
overwhelming and draining
Lower internal activity level –
often need more external activity
or they get bored and under-stimulated
Often need downtime between activities
Often energised by back-to-back activities
Often prefer depth in their knowledge –
tend to be detail-focussed, with deep
knowledge about a few topics
Often prefer breadth in their knowledge –
tend to like being a “jack of all trades” who
knows a little about a lot
Often prefer depth in their relationships – tend
to prefer a few very close friendships
Often prefer breadth in relationships – tend to
like having lots of friends / wide network
Often listen more (except for specific topics
that they are particularly passionate/
knowledgeable about)
Often talk more
(about anything and to anyone!)
Often bored/frustrated with small talk/chitchat
Often love small talk/chitchat
Often speak more quietly,
slowly, and after reflection
Often speak louder, more quickly,
and without thinking
Usually prefer interacting
one-on-one or in a very small group
Happy interacting in groups of any size
Often need more
personal space around them
Often enjoy more people contact – “the more,
the merrier” is a very extroverted mindset
Often more private about self-disclosure
Often more comfortable with being open
TOTAL INTROVERT TRAITS:
TOTAL EXTROVERT TRAITS:
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com
Page 1
Exercise #2: What kind of “quiet” are you?
Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 for the extent to which each trait applies to you. Think of 1 being
“doesn’t describe me at all” and 5 being “That’s me to a ‘T’!”
Trait
1
2
3
4
5
Introverted
Shy
Highly sensitive
If you rate yourself as a 3 or higher on any two (or all three) of the scales, think about how each trait
affects the others for you.
Do you notice any interplay between them? For example:

Are you shyer in larger groups than in smaller ones?

Does the amount of noise affect your introversion?

Are you confident on a stage (where you don’t need to interact), but shy in one-to-one interactions
with strangers?
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com
Page 2
Exercise #3: Identifying and using your strengths as an introvert
Part 1: rate yourself on each of the typical introvert strengths
Start by giving yourself a rating on a scale of 1-5 for how strong you are at each skill below. For each
skill, 1= “I seriously suck!” and 5=”I’m goddamn awesome!”
Feel free to add a skill or three at the bottom if I’ve missed one that you know you’re good at.
Skill
1
2
3
4
5
Researching
Concentrating
Thinking things through before you act
Intuition
Focusing on detail
Working independently
Building deep, lasting relationships
Listening attentively
Problem solving
Writing
Other strength 1:
Other strength 2:
Other strength 2:
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com
Page 3
Part 2: Figure out how to use your three strongest skills
A big part of promoting yourself effectively is understanding exactly what your clients want and need, and how whatever you offer solves that for them.
Until you understand that, it doesn’t matter what promotion techniques you use – they won’t get your message across, because you won’t have the right message! So with that
in mind, take your three highest-rated skills from the previous page and fill in the table (if you need more space, feel free to use your own paper!)
Example skill
Skill name
Your strongest skill
Your 2nd strongest skill
Your 3rd strongest skill
Researching
How do you already use this
skill to help you figure out
what your clients most need?
I create regular surveys to ask
my tribe exactly what their
biggest challenges are
How could you use it more to
get even clearer about your
clients’ specific needs?
I could ask permission to email
some survey respondents
directly, so I can ask them more
in-depth follow-up questions
How do you already use this
skill to make sure your
offering meets your clients’
specific needs?
Once I know what they want, I
spend time reading sales pages
for other offerings that meet that
specific need
How could you use it more to
be even surer that you’re
meeting those needs?
I could sign up to some of the
offerings myself to help learn
what’s on offer (plus, they might
provide potential JVs later!!!)
How do you already use this
skill to communicate how
your offering meets those
needs?
I ask a few close online biz
friends for feedback on how
clearly my final copy gets my
message across
How could you use it more
to communicate even more
clearly?
I could create multiple pieces of
copy, and get my online friends
to rate their preference for each
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com,
March 2013
Exercise #4: Start creating a “stock response” tool box
Part 1: When are you most likely to need stock responses?
Part of the difficulty for us as introverts is that we often aren’t good at coming up with quick replies.
We like to have time to reflect and think about our answers. And nowhere is that more frustrating
than when we need to explain something about our introversion to a fast-thinking extrovert.
So, with this exercise, start by thinking of times when you’re most likely to need to explain something
about being an introvert:
F’rexample… mine include explaining:

What introversion means and doesn’t mean

That I often need time to think before I reply

That when I say “no” to a social event, it doesn’t mean I don’t like the person who invited me – I
just need to manage my energy levels
So first, think of three possible situations where you might need a stock response
1.
2.
3.
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com,
July 2013
Part 2: Next, brainstorm a list of possible responses for each situation
To do this, set yourself a timer – you could give yourself a 5, 10 or 20 minute block (whichever seems
like it would work best)
Then on a piece of scrap paper (or on your computer) write as many possible responses for your
Situation 1 as you can think of.
Your responses can be friendly, cold, wimpy, assertive, snarky, or even downright abusive if that’s the
way your mind works – remember, no-one will ever see this list but you!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The key to brainstorming is to not allow yourself to edit or judge as the ideas come
up. Just write them down and then move on to the next one.
So, for example, the first few responses I came up with for my Situation 1 were:
1. “I’m discovering that being an introvert means I need to manage my energy REALLY carefully”
2. “No, it’s not about being shy or sensitive or antisocial: it’s just about the fact that interacting
with people drains my energy levels”
3. “OK, you’ve got me, I *AM* antisocial – deal with it!!!!”
4. “No, I’m not the only one who’s introverted: apparently so are 57% of the rest of the population!”
5. “Think of it as me having to budget my energy – I don’t want to spend it all at once and have
nothing left for later in the week”
6. “You know that story about the spoons from the lass that had Lupus? It’s a little like that – just
with people, instead of activity”
7. “Man, I envy you your energy levels. I wish mine worked the same way, but alas, being around
all those people would hit me like a truck and knock me out for almost as long!”
8. “You know how you get to the end of a long day and you need to be around friends and family to
relax and unwind? Well, I’m the same, except that I need to be on my own, or I just get wound up
even more”
9. “I’m an introvert. Look it the hell up.”
OK – your turn now… have at it!
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com,
July 2013
Your brainstormed list of stock responses
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com,
July 2013
Part 3: Figuring out the right response/s
Once you have your brainstormed list, give yourself some time to look through it and pick the options
that will work best for you. Choose 2-3, and think about which situations you’d probably use each one
in.
In my example…
Obviously, in the list above, #3 and #9 might be extremely satisfying in the moment if I was in a
bad mood, but aren’t likely to do me any long-term favours.
#6 might be great for people who are familiar with Christine Miserandino’s “Spoons” story, but
would probably take too much explanation for my average listener.
I think for me, #1 is great for general usage, #7 and #8 work really well for extroverted friends,
and #2 is great if someone actually uses the term “shy” or “antisocial”
So how about you?
For each of the three situations you chose, decide on 2-3 possible stock responses you can imagine
yourself saying.
Practice each one out loud. Say it to your computer screen – to the mirror – or find a fellow introvert
you trust to practice it with.
Situation 1:
First response choice:
When I’d use this:
Second response choice:
When I’d use this:
Third response choice:
When I’d use this:
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com,
July 2013
Situation 2:
First response choice:
When I’d use this:
Second response choice:
When I’d use this:
Third response choice:
When I’d use this:
Situation 3:
First response choice:
When I’d use this:
Second response choice:
When I’d use this:
Third response choice:
When I’d use this:
PS: If you need help deciding on the right response/s for you (or help coming up with a few extra
options), don’t forget to ask in the Facebook group!
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com,
July 2013
Module #1 Resource list: Great books for introverted business owners
Books I’ve read, highly recommend, and refer to during the call:

Self-Promotion for Introverts, by Nancy Ancowitz

Introvert Power, by Laurie Helgoe

The Introvert Advantage, by Marti Olsen Laney

The Introvert’s Way: living a quiet life in a noisy world, by Sophia Dembling
Other books that come recommended, but that I haven’t read yet:

Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking, by Susan Cain
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com,
July 2013
Who’s Tanja?
Hi, I'm Tanja! I'm a weaver of words and a sculptor of stories over at
Crystal Clarity Copywriting.
My mission there is to help introverted difference-makers like you
write with concise, creative clarity that your readers intuitively
understand.
Because if your readers truly “get” how much of a difference you can
make in their lives? They’re much more open to connecting with you
and letting you help them.
Want to check out what I do in a totally no-pressure environment? Why not:

say hello on Twitter

follow me on Facebook

check out my blog

sign up for my short-n-sweet fortnightly writing tips, ideas and resources
Or, if you’d like one-on-one help with your promotional copy, why not arrange a free, no-obligation
“Make Your Writing Crystal Clear” strategy session.
© Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com,
July 2013