As a business introvert, one particular process just didn’t work for me. So I changed it, and found my bliss.

A few years ago I did something that horrified some of my colleagues.

My action could have meant a drop in enquiries and a big blow to business.

But the most wonderful thing happened.

I actually gained clients who preferred my work style and lost clients who weren’t the right fit. It was true business bliss!

What did I do?

I removed my phone number from my website, meaning the first point of contact from a prospect had to be email.

To understand why I did this, please read the below paragraph from an article about accidental competence by fellow creative introvert, Kelly Exeter.

“As a creative person and an introvert, the stuff that feeds my soul has always involved spending quiet time at my desk, writing and designing (i.e. creating), with no one else around me requiring me to talk to them. It’s at the end of those kinds of days that I find myself buzzing with happiness.”

Like Kelly, I too crave uninterrupted time where I can pour myself into copywriting, creative writing, corresponding with clients, thinking, brainstorming, daydreaming and making.

You see, in the past I never enjoyed being interrupted by phone calls. Each call broke my continuity and pulverised my productivity. Eventually, to preserve my flow I’d let calls go through to voicemail, but I’d feel mentally unsettled until I returned them.

Also, I noticed a pattern. Callers generally fell into three categories: those only interested in price (or haggling about price!), those solely wanting free advice, and those selling something. On the other hand, emailers just wanted to get started or had meaningful questions about the website copywriting process, price and outcomes.

In the end, it was almost a no-brainer to remove my phone number. Later, when I started my second business which focused on tagline writing, I didn’t even consider placing my number on the site.

Is this business introvert action right for you?

Some of my colleagues, introverted or not, enjoy taking initial enquiries on the phone and feel it’s an important part of their process. Others have removed their phone number and love it as much as I do. It’s a personal decision, and also, it’s about being brave enough to break the rules. Nowadays more people are phone number-free, but back when I did it, people reacted as though I was removing my actual voice box.

In a nutshell, choosing to remove your phone number as a first point of contact will depend on your preferred work style, personality and the type of business you run. For some businesses, a phone number and quick contact is absolutely vital. For others, less so.

A word of caution

If you’d like to trial removing your phone number, it’s important to first ensure your website:

• Is easy to navigate
• Has persuasive, compelling and informative copy
• Has a comprehensive FAQ page
• Showcases solid testimonials
• Includes your pricing (in some cases)

If you have all of the above, and enquiries drop, it’s advisable to put your phone number back on. But if you find you’re attracting the people you really want to work with, you know you’ve made the right decision.

Some business processes can’t be changed, but as you can see, others can be tweaked and tailored to suit your own personality, especially if you have business introvert tendencies!

Have you changed any of your business processes to suit your personality or work style? What’s your preferred form of client communication?