Why Do I Feel So Fearful of Selling?

 Why Do I Feel So Fearful of Selling?

connection-based marketing. It is the foundation of a prosperous internet company. If you don't establish internet connections, your business will suffer. Quite a straightforward idea, don't you think? However, what exactly is meant by "relationship marketing"? Put simply, it's the idea that building trusting relationships with site visitors and ezine readers is essential to company success, particularly in the digital sphere where anonymity is paramount. Only then can you hope to transact business. It necessitates a dedication to providing excellent customer service, a readiness to assist others without expecting anything in return, and the ability to establish credibility and dependability for both your company and yourself.

Ultimately, though, you need to make money if you want your firm to succeed. However, one of the most frequent concerns voiced by novice (and even seasoned) internet business owners is that they don't want to appear as though they are "selling something" to people that they have developed the very relationship that is necessary in order to close the deal!

Put differently, the emphasis on the connection has become so central to "relationship marketing" that it starts to appear blatant and like a betrayal of trust. A common complaint among newly established internet entrepreneurs is that they feel like they're abusing the confidence of people they've developed relationships with. Naturally, as long as you are confident in the product you are offering and that it will help your clients, there is no reason to feel this way. Your negative feelings are justified if you don't feel this way. You ARE being shady here!

The business owner is not the only one who finds selling uncomfortable. Over the course of the last year or so, readers of my ezine have sent me a number of angry emails in response to promotions I ran for programs I actively endorse. These emails always have the same theme: I have a "duty" to my readers because they have come to trust me as a reliable information source, and I have somehow violated this duty by engaging in such obscene behavior as actually promoting the programs I recommend in order to make some money online. Some have even gone so far as to say that since I allow paid advertising in my ezine, I should stop trying to promote outside programs in order to earn money and just be happy with that source of income.

I just say that I'm running a business in response to this line of thinking. I don't work on my website and ezine at night or on the weekends out of pure charity. Believe me, I'm not that noble. I want to make money. Contrary to popular belief, having a profit motivation is not always a bad thing. A profit motivation is only bad when it is used to mislead, deceive, or violate someone else's trust in order to further one's own interests. There's no need to feel bad or apologize for aiming to turn a fair profit.

What say you? Do you feel a slight sense of unease about promoting your goods and services? Here are some tips to help you get over your apprehension about approaching potential clients for sales and how to handle these interactions so that your client knows that while you are there to assist them, you are also in business for yourself by making a decent livelihood.

ELECTROLYZE YOUR GOALS

Choosing what exactly you're doing when you make your website or release your ezine is the first thing you should do. Is it a company or just a hobby? The distinction lies on whether a profit motive is present or not. Alright, if it's a pastime. Enjoy yourself and, if possible, earn just enough money to pay your expenses; don't strive to make a profit. However, realize that turning a profit is a given if it's a business. It's the reason your company is even in business. There will undoubtedly be multiple goals for you. Still, the profit motivation is crucial.

Make every effort to make your goals clear. For some, it's enough to simply consider the situation and decide mentally. Others need to see crystallization in black and white. If that describes you, put your goals in writing. Once more, though, making a profit needs to be at the top of your list of goals if you're managing a business as opposed to pursuing a hobby (unless, that is, you're running a non-profit organization, but we'll set that aside for now). Accept that goal for what it is. Accept it. ATTACK IT with ALL HANTS. There's nothing to hide or feel guilty about. You can allow yourself to pursue a dollar aggressively as long as you plan to accomplish so and do it via legal, moral, and ethical means. Why objectify yourself in this manner? Because they will help you stay on course when the doubters appear, who will unavoidably, in your porridge.

ACT PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESSLIKE

"Relationship marketing" is not the same as getting to know your clients on a personal level. Just keep things businesslike and professional, nice but not *overly* personal, and you'll save yourself a lot of stress and angst. It is feasible to maintain a professional, businesslike demeanor while still being amiable and helpful without crossing the personal boundary. The people you deal with are your customers, not your buddies. Naturally, you might end up becoming friends with some of the people you used to be customers. However, don't begin relationship marketing with the premise that you need to be friends with your clients. You don't. If you act in a businesslike and professional manner, no irrational expectations will be raised.

ACT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF YOUR BUSINESS.

Maintaining self-restraint can be achieved by consistently comparing your choices to the standards "Is this the appropriate course of action for my business?" If so, proceed, understanding that a decision may be best for your company even if it does not result in money going your way. Don't if not. There are times when it will benefit your company more than anything else to take action that your client would view as a favor. One scenario would be providing a refund for a purchase in which the consumer is not formally entitled to one and in which you have a continuing business connection with them. You act in this manner for the benefit of your customers, and this is undoubtedly an instance of something that is best for your company.

Customers may, however, occasionally benefit from such a policy. If you choose to take a step that benefits your reader, customer, or visitor beyond what they are entitled to, avoid this kind of issue by subtly stating that you are doing this action for business purposes. But be ready to establish boundaries. Recognize the limit to which you are willing to go in order to protect your corporate interests and turn a decision from being a commercial one into a personal one.

If it's the appropriate thing to do under all the circumstances, your business's best interests shouldn't be sacrificed because you find it difficult to say "no."

ACT FAIRLY AND DIRECTLY

Never be afraid to advertise your goods and services and make it clear to potential clients that you would like them to make a purchase from you. Be forthright, honest, and transparent about it. For instance, I would suggest things that I believe will be helpful to someone who approaches me asking for guidance on how to launch their own internet business. Generally, for those who are new to internet marketing, I suggest Cookie Cutter and Cash Cow. Why? First off, I think both products are great and offer beginners a quick and affordable method to quickly learn a lot about how online businesses operate.

Second, I get $20 every time I sell one of these programs as an affiliate. Would I suggest any goods that don't conflict with my financial interests and are directly related to my line of work? No. Why? I want to make money. Time is money to me. The secret is that I have faith in the goods. I would also suggest other products if I believed they were superior to the ones I was endorsing. but only after I become an affiliate in order to profit from the referral I made.

However, sometimes people ask me to suggest a web host. Although I am an inactive associate of a large web hosting company, I never suggest them since I believe their prices are too high. Here, I direct the inquirer to the web server I work with on my personal website. I have no financial interest in recommending them, nor am I one of their affiliates. I haven't bothered (yet) to join up for my webhost's affiliate program because I'm not really interested in promoting webhosting as a product. Just like Cookie Cutter/Cash Cow is an honest recommendation, this one is also an honest recommendation. The sole distinction is that I profit from the latter, so why not? The bottom line is that there's no reason you can't profit simultaneously as long as you're offering an honest advice. A win-win scenario exists. Thus, let up your fear of selling. It is the reason your company exists, and without you, it won't.

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