Last week, I read an informative article for small business people whose fears dictate their actions and, ultimately, ruin their business.
Over the years, I have met numerous people who number one fear is selling — even their own products! (I guess I am the oddball, since this is, obviously, not one of my fears!!). Without sales, you don’t have a business. But it is more than just that! If you allow them, many fears can immobilize the growth of your business.
Here are a few tips from Rob Fortier on getting over fears:
Are You Running on Fear?
1. You’re Not Following Up. How many times have you met someone who’s interested in your product or service? Maybe you shoot them a quick email, and you never hear back from them….Do you get nervous about contacting them, and just decide that they’ll get in touch with you when they are ready? Don’t be afraid of contacting them… more than once. If someone expressed interested, that means they WANT to hear from you. If you don’t hear back the first time, they could have missed your initial outreach. Keep reaching out until you get a response.
2. You Feel You’re Bothering People. As a Creative Entrepreneur, it’s your job to make sure that the people who need your product or service are getting it. Selling is all about finding the people who have the problem to which your product or service is the solution. …People need what you have to offer, so don’t be selfish by keeping it all to yourself.
3. You’re Reluctant to Talk About Money. Wouldn’t it be great if all of our customers and clients always paid us on time? And wouldn’t it be great if they always paid us what we think we’re worth, without us being nervous about asking? … As a Creative Entrepreneur, you should never be afraid to ask for your money. If you have fulfilled your obligation as the service provider, then the client needs to fulfill their obligation as the paying customer. It can be scary to discuss money with a potential client. You might be afraid of offering a fair price out of fear of losing a customer. But if you don’t charge enough money, you run the risk of being angry and resentful because you’re not earning enough. You’re worth it, trust me, so go ahead and ask for the fee you deserve.
4. You’re Giving Up Too Soon. Everything looks like failure in the middle- that’s just how it is. But when you’re in the middle of something, fear can often get the better of us and tell us to turn back. Fight urge to abandon ship and push forward to completion. Maybe you won’t get the result(s) you were looking for, but I can guarantee you’ll get zero results if you stop in the middle. …
5. You’re Waiting Until You are Ready. You might be waiting forever if you do that. I’ll let you in on a little secret: you are NEVER going to feel completely ready, so stop waiting. No matter how many certifications you earn, classes you take or degrees you get, you will still have a period in which you feel uncertain. Trust that what you know if enough, maybe not for everyone, but at least for those you were meant to serve right now.
My advice to you today? Take that first small step in the direction you want to go with your business. And keep taking those small steps. One day you will realize you are over your fears and have developed a successful business!