If you have a business, your goal is likely to make money. But the only way to make money is to sell something, either your products or your services. So what happens if you’re deathly afraid of selling? Predictably, you won’t make much money and then you’re really managing a hobby instead of running a business.
If you’re ready to ramp up your income, then you need to overcome this fear of selling. Here are some tips for reframing your selling mindset and overcome your fear of selling.
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How To Overcome Fear of Selling
1. Don’t Sell – Have a Conversation
If you’re worried about being perceived as that pushy, hard-sell salesperson who follows you around the store, then start off by simply having a conversation. You won’t convince anyone to buy the first time you meet them, so ask them questions about their business instead. By asking questions, you’ll qualify them as prospects (or not) and then you can follow up at a future time.
2. Offer Your Help Instead of Selling
What is the end result of every product or service? They all solve a problem. Approach each potential lead with the idea of helping them solve a problem instead of selling them your product. Helping has a more positive connotation than selling does and this frame of thought may make it easier for you to start those qualifying conversations.
3. Start Small
Don’t try to conquer the world in a single day. Start small and talk about your business to family and friends. Spread your reach in your local community by networking in person at business events. Start networking online. Use your social media channels to provide consistent value to your target audience. Rinse and repeat all these steps until you have a well-oiled networking machine that produces leads.
4. Focus on Your Goals
Promoting your products and services becomes much easier when you remember your why: Why are you in business? What are your goals? What is your timeframe for meeting those goals? Setting reasonable deadlines will keep you motivated to sell instead of taking the day off to binge-watch Netflix shows. Also share these goals with your spouse, business associate, or accountability partner. When you know other people will ask you about your progress, you remain motivated.
5. Get Excited About Your Products and Services
When you’re proud of your offerings, it’s much easier to get into selling mode. Do your market research. Understand your audience’s pain points. Create your product or service to alleviate those pain points. Make your product or service the absolute best it can be and then offer it to the world. Your excitement will become contagious among all your followers and fans.
Bonus Tip: Ask for testimonials from happy clients and read them when you have a moment of doubt. Reading those success stories and kind words will do wonders for your failing confidence.
Free Checklist: 12 Ideas For Making More Money In Your Business
Just be yourself when promoting your business offerings. Don’t try to copy your competition. Don’t try to look like your favorite mentor or guru. You are unique and your audience will be attracted to you based upon your authentic self.
Every business owner wants their income to feel secure and stable. Are you struggling to boost your income and productivity? Do you feel like you’re stalling out? One of the most common business problems today is that many small businesses hit income plateaus. But there are ways to push beyond them.
One extra stream of income might not add up to much, but if you set up more than one income stream, it can become a river of revenue. Download my free report, 12 Ideas For Making More Money In Your Business and use it to grow your business and push back against the challenges of running a business.