Introverts For Salesforce Unite! Part One

Whoa, introverts unite?  Have you met one?  And you say no, they saw me coming first.

I don’t have stats, but I suspect introverts are a huge faction within the Salesforce community.  But try to find, let alone unite them.

Still, we introverts love Salesforce and find ways to participate and engage with other SF nerds: online, remotely, from black screens on Zoom, or behind a pillar at a meet-up.

We’re fantastic with Salesforce because we love nothing better than sitting alone, clicking away, completely focused on learning and building (yay Pandemic!).  Tools like LinkedIn and Facebook are essential because you can connect with others, add your two cents, congratulate and contribute, all from the cocoon of your cave or via your phone at an undisclosed location.

But the sad and painful truth is, in order to break into the Salesforce world – We Need to Act Like Extroverts.

Eek!  Slap!  How dare you!

Okay, okay, I know how improbable and impossible that notion is.  Unfortunately, there aren’t many ways around it.

I have struggled with this all my life.  I’m smart, meticulous, and emphasize clear communication (at work it’s not a problem), plus I’m a hell of an organizer.  Once people see what I can do, they go out of their way to give me kudos.  But me telling others how great I am, not so much.  Getting strangers to see that I’m a born Salesforce Administrator or Consultant has been mission impossible.

That is, until I found Talent Stacker and Bradley Rice, whom I dub “The Introvert-Whisperer”.

He’s the first extrovert who’s been able to break down and explain their secrets.  Things that come naturally to extroverts, making them wonder what the big deal is/just get on with it, as if it were so easy.

But Bradley understands our cluelessness.

And what he says is true, no matter how difficult and painful it is for us to accept.

So, let’s start to break it down.

Get Certified: So much to learn, yet all within your wheelhouse.  You can study on your own, do Trailheads, take classes and use online resources, or join a study group via Talent Stacker groups (especially via the guidance of the magical Alex Warneke, shout out!).  You got this.

Polish your LinkedIn Profile: A bit scary.  No, your profile picture can’t be of your cat, Baga Chipz.  You must use your own photo.  You are beautiful, deal with it.  And I know you feel exposed but you have to put in some work history or lack thereof.  Your past has brought you to this moment and all of it is relevant in showing your smarts, perseverance, and talent even if you don’t think you shine.  You do.

However, if you’re seriously having trouble, reach out to the community.  The Talent Stackers especially are generous and insightful.

You Suck at Interviewing: Yes, it’s true.  Introverts would love the whole concept of job interviews to be outlawed.  Why can’t people tell how wonderful I am?  I can’t sell myself.  I can’t sell anything!

Truthfully, I’m having trouble with this part.  To an introvert, the word “sell” has a terrible connotation.

But the advice from Bradley, Anita Smith, and Justin Dux (our Talent Stacker gurus) is eye-opening and jaw-dropping:

Get the lighting right (can’t I stay in the dark?), look into the camera (unnerving), relax (without a cocktail?), tell your story (I’m not interesting), control the conversation (why like aliens do they show no emotion, just hammering me with questions?), and try not to look terrified when they ask a technical question (terrified is my natural state and you did say to be myself).

They say it gets better through repetition?  Ulp, I have to keep doing this?

Yes, and there’s more!

Alright, let’s ride this Terror Train onto its next station in Part 2.  I need to jump into the nearest Eleven-style isolation chamber (“Stranger Things” nerd alert) asap.

Photo by Mike Juarez on Unsplash