Posted by Jeralynn on July 26, 19100 at 13:02:10:
In Reply to: Shyness and Marketing - What to do? posted by Karen Cooper on July 24, 19100 at 07:48:58:
Karen,
I think that this is a common obstacle for many entrepreneurs unless, of course you already have a sales background. There have been instances where I had struck up a conversation with someone who had shown interest in my business and afterwards it occurred to me that I should have given them a business card. Not being sales oriented it never crossed my mind during the conversation. Lesson learned - keep business cards handy and use them. You never know when that person may need your services and I think they would be more likely to look for your card rather than try to find a source in the phone book.
The good news is, it does get easier. It's just like anything else that we learn, the more you practice the better you get at it. You may wish to practice or rehearse to yourself or better yet have someone you're comfortable with be your "client" and have them ask questions just as a client would. You may also try to think of any possible questions that a potential client may have so that you can work out the answer it advance. It's tough being caught off guard with a question that you never anticipated and you certainly don't want to be fumbling for the answer at that time which could possibly leave a bad impression.
Another approach could be to consider your early encounters as your practice sessions. If you approach it that way - not worrying so much about selling yourself but what you will gain from the experience it may take some of the pressure off worrying about what to say. Afterwards, think about what you could have done better and use that in your next approach. If you don't end up with a new client just keep in mind the valuable lesson that you learned and benefited from. That's my favorite approach because if we can turn barriers into benefits it makes achieving success that much easier. With each successful encounter your confidence level will grow.
Remember, it does get easier. Really. I used to be so intimidated that I couldn't even make a phone call to order a pizza!
Jeralynn Burke
EP Forum Moderator