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What’s your personality type? Are you an Enneagram 7? An INFJ/T? (For the record, those are both of my types!)

Or…are you an introvert or an extrovert? Or how about an ambivert? People — especially us millennials — love taking personality tests. They’re fun! And we can use our results to feel empowered and connect with other people. My friend Brit Kolo of Marketing Personalities talked all about it with me in this episode.

Did you know that your personality type can also help you as a speaker? Yep, that’s right. And no, you don’t need to be an extrovert to make a lasting impact from the stage!

If you loved this episode and it motivated you to add speaking to your business, I’d love for you to leave me some positive feedback on iTunes and tell me about your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @jessicarasdall.

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Introverts can be great speakers, too

Let’s address the elephant in the room first. You do not need to be an outgoing, high-energy, talkative extrovert in order to be a good speaker. This is a myth, y’all.

In fact, being a good speaker doesn’t really have to do with being an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert (which is someone who falls in the middle). Because extroverts are people who draw energy from others, it’s easy to assume that they make the best speakers. They’d feed off the vibe of their audience when on stage.

Since introverts draw energy from alone time or time spent with one or two loved ones, it’s also easy to assume that they might not want to be a speaker in the first place. But this simply isn’t true.

Oh, and being introverted doesn’t always mean you consider yourself shy. That’s a whole other ball game, and I have a YouTube video dedicated to feeling too shy to speak.

Anyway, I consider myself an introvert! Being an introvert doesn’t mean you hate being around others, or it’s impossible to speak to a crowd. It just means that you need some alone time to recharge after being social.

If you’re an introvert wondering how on earth you can become a speaker without having to become an extrovert, I’m here to tell you that it’s possible, my friend. You can embrace introversion and honor your needs by building in that alone time after a presentation to wind down and clear your head.

How your personality type plays into your speaking abilities

Aside from introversion and extroversion, how might your other personality traits affect your speaking abilities?

We’re gonna start with Myers-Briggs personality types, because they’re so popular. There are 16 personalities total, and they fall into one of four categories:

Analysts, who are known for their rationality, impartiality, and intellect
Includes INTJs, INTPs, ENTJs, and ENTPs
Diplomats, who are known for their empathy, diplomacy, and idealism
Includes INFJs, INFPs, ENFJs, and ENFPs
Sentinels, who are known for their practicality, sense of order, security, and stability
Includes ISTJs, ISFJs, ESTJs, and ESFJs
Explorers, who are known for their spontaneity, ingenuity, and flexibility
Includes ISTPs, ISFPs, ESTPs, and ESFPs

Now, how does your Myers-Briggs type impact your speaking? According to Brit, members of the Analyst group simply need to have a clear strategy for their marketing efforts. As intuitive, thinking personalities, Analysts do best when they have a clear, logical strategy based on facts.

If you’re in the Diplomat group, your “why” matters most to you. You’re intuitive and feeling, which means your emotions play a big role in why you do things. If you’re passionate about your “why,” as in, “why do you want to be a speaker,” then you’ll do what it takes to deliver your message!

Are you one of the Sentinels? Then the structure and organization of your speaking journey is what will drive you to execute it. You’re already great at managing things or people. You’re also dedicated to helping others. All you need to do is apply those skills to your own speaking.

Finally, if you’re one of the Explorers, then you just need to take action. Organization and strategy aren’t as important as pursuing a new adventure. You’re always up for a new experiment and being spontaneous. Why not add speaking to the list?

Once you find your Myers-Briggs, see if your personality falls in line with your typical traits. Maybe you were very close to being another personality type, too. You might share traits from more than one group that you can apply to your speaking!

Are personality types the be-all, end-all of speaking?

I want you to remember that, regardless of your personality type, it’s super important to get clear on your “why” when becoming a speaker.

Knowing your why will affect everything when it comes to your speaking journey. Your signature presentations that you’ll develop. Your ideal audience. What you want speaking to do for your business. All of it.

Use this information as a starting point in identifying your own strengths and weaknesses…and then apply it to your speaking. What I don’t want you to do is lean on your personality type so much that it becomes an obstacle or an excuse to your speaking.

“I’m a Scorpio, I can’t connect with a big audience!” Or, “I’m an ESFP, I don’t need a strategy for speaking!” Your personality is who you are, yes, but it doesn’t define who you are on stage. It doesn’t limit how you connect with your audience and leave them with a lasting message.

No matter what your personality is, there is a space for you in speaking. And one of the best ways to take up that space and make an impact on your audience is to be yourself. Let that personality shine!

Let’s say you have your personality quirks and preferences down pat. What’s next? A strategy that uses your unique personality to your advantage. The Speaking Strategy Academy can help you develop that perfect strategy.

If you’re ready to scale your business by speaking on stage (or in webinars, or virtual conferences, or on podcasts), but you’re not sure what to do next, The Speaking Strategy Academy is for you.

As an Academy member, you gain access to so many valuable resources to help you move forward on your speaking journey: workbooks, educational trainings, live group coaching calls, the support of a private speaking community, and so much more!

Join The Speaking Strategy Academy today, and prepare to craft an impactful signature message that you can deliver to your audience. I’ll see you there.