Did you know that all people are natural-born sellers? It’s just that not everyone realizes it. The first thing that comes to our mind is the fear of doing a home business. This is because you are in doubt whether you could sell your product or service. Most often, fears of selling come in several forms. Either we worry about not being liked, or being perceived as pushy, we worry that our product or service might not perform as we say or we struggle with the idea of rejection. Knowing the source of your fear (sometimes it can be a combination) is an important part of overcoming your fear of selling.
Next it is important to take action to address the source. In this way, you are taking action to overcome your fear. In some cases, this might mean that you improve your product or service (you can use customer feedback for this), or you can find ways to share your product/service in a way that feels more authentic and natural to you. You can also find ways to “bounce back” after rejection which is easier to do if you don’t take “no” personally.
Start small. Very often, people tend to tackle projects much larger than they can comfortably handle. When you want to overcome your fear of selling you should start small. Maybe you will share your new business with a few trusted friends first and then gradually find ways to expand your sharing to include a larger circle. The most successful business people are those who interact with others in an authentic, passionate way so find a way that feels comfortable with you and stay with it.
One other technique to overcome the fear of selling as you go on with your home business is to tap into your passion and enthusiasm for what you are offering. You can make a list of all the really wonderful benefits and successful outcomes of past customers. You can hang this list nearby where you can see it everyday and it will definitely boost your confidence.
Keep track of your successes by keeping a “wins” or success journal nearby and record your achievements in it each day. This will help you stay aware of just how much you do right. We sometimes tend to forget this.
Have fun with it rather than approaching this from a heavy “have to” or “doesn’t feel good” perspective. Find a fun, interesting way to share your knowledge or passion.
It is also important to stay focused on your desired outcome. Most people take actions and reach their goals because they stay focused on the benefits of doing so. Sometimes, reminding yourself what you want, why you’re doing this can help you take the next action and the next.
And finally keep practicing. Like any other business skill, “selling” gets easier the more you do it. So get out there, start small, and keep practicing!
