This post is my opinion on why the ‘silent’ tour guide participant – or the introvert – is the type of visitor Tour Guides or Interpreters may moan about but is also very much the type of visitor you want at your museum, park or attraction.
As someone who has been involved in the world of interpretation for around a quarter century, you’d think I’d be the best kind of guided tour or program participant, knowing as I do what it is that Interpreters get a kick out of, and what they look for in the folks they engage with. But the truth is, I’m a terrible participant.
An Introvert Walks Into a Museum...
You see, I’m a proud introvert and a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Sensory input will overwhelm me quicker than your average person and I’m content in my own head. I’m confident in my skills and abilities and at ease with the parts of the extrovert ideal world (as described by the amazing Susan Cain) that I don’t fit into.
I love my friends and family dearly and my bucket gets filled when I spend time with them. But when I visit a museum, park or other kind of attraction, I’m actually happiest when I can visit alone as I want to visit on my terms. I want to be in my own headspace, to experience what I want to experience, to digest, to reflect and to enjoy the parts of the visit that are most interesting and meaningful to me, not anyone else.
If visiting alone, I generally don’t want to talk to anyone. I likely won’t be chatting to gift shop staff on my way out and if I see an Interpreter or Programmer heading my way, I’ll avoid eye contact and maybe even head the other way. I rarely go on guided tours because I know they don’t suit me. But on the odd occasion I am on one, I’m the person standing at the back, taking it all in but really hoping I’m not asked a question or expected to take part in any group activity. If I have a question, I’ll keep it until the end when I can ask one-on-one.
So in essence, I’m the silent visitor. I visit, do my thing, and go. You won’t know what I thought about the place, or my enjoyment or engagement levels, to give you feedback to chat about in the staff room or share in surveys or meetings. And because I won’t be sharing my visit on social media you won’t be getting widespread word-of-mouth marketing from me.
These types of feedback are all incredibly useful to organizations. No doubt about it. But that doesn’t mean that the silent visitors are any less valuable. Why?
I want to read the panels, you know, the panels that staff wish more people would read. In many cases, I’d rather read a panel than watch a video as it suits my learning style. I won’t be getting distracted by taking selfies (another common complaint). I want to absorb content and make my own connections. I will browse an exhibit to find what interests me, but I’m doing so with mindfulness and intention. I’m in the zone, having left my desire for social connection at the door, giving me more room for connecting with the content.
So yes I may leave without staff knowing my level of visitor satisfaction. It’s true I may have missed out on the possibility of a deeper understanding from some interaction with a knowledgeable Interpreter who could lead me on a path to more connections. But I’m ok with that, because if I’m interested enough in the subject, I’m more than likely to go away and do my own research in my own time. Because as an introvert, reading and thinking deeply are part of what I do.
The Silent Type is Everywhere
I know I’m not alone. Researchers estimate that introverts may account for up to fifty percent of the population. And Highly Sensitive People are estimated to make up around twenty percent of the population. Not all HSPs are introverts but most are. Both types of people have rich, inner lives. They are characteristically intelligent, creative and deep thinkers. HSPs in particular have more attuned senses so are often more observant and enjoy works of art or nature as examples. This group of folks are exactly the type of people who will get a lot from an exhibit, gallery or park by noticing what others do not and reflecting on it or appreciating it as a result.
When you consider that at least every one in four, and possibly as many as every one in two, people walking into a cultural or nature-based attraction likely has some of these traits, then this is a notable number. These are visitors who may well prefer non-personal interpretation, no matter how great the live interpretation may be. They may not want to chat away to the staff, no matter how friendly the staff are. They might not want hands-on interactives, preferring to quietly read content or contemplate what they are looking at.
I’ve had many conversations with former colleagues over the years about ‘fun’ and what it takes to create a fun space for visitors because nobody goes looking for an activity that is ‘un-fun’. But in this typically extroverted world we live in, I think it can be forgotten that everybody’s idea of fun and joy is different. What is typically fun for extroverts can be hell on earth for introverts and HSPs and vice versa. And the more we move through this digital world with social media and selfies, 24/7 entertainment, conversation and noise, the more it seems that fun is defined by the very things that make introverts want to run a million miles from.
So what am I saying? I know there are many places out there that recognize that there are still people who prefer more traditional ways of engaging with a place or content. To those places, please keep it up. But to those places that are more dominated by extroverted staff, whether leaders or frontline staff, please do not underestimate the value of your introverted visitors. They might not verbally engage with you much, but it does not mean they are not enjoying themselves or finding the visit meaningful. Chances are you will see fewer tagged photos of smiling faces and you may have had no fulfilling conversation with them. But on the other hand, there is also a good chance that they made meaning from their visit – which after all, is exactly what you wanted them to do.