When you became an entrepreneur, you probably planned on a lot of things, but I’ll bet being scared wasn’t one of them.
Believe it or not, fear in business is actually a good thing. You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. You should worry the day you’re not scared because it means you’re no longer growing.
But, I’m not talking about that kind of fear. I’m talking about the kind that keeps you from making necessary investments in your business, like:
- not creating a Facebook page because you don’t want people to say negative things about you. (Newsflash: they’re going to say what they’re going to say whether you’re on social media or not. Wouldn’t you rather handle it proactively?)
- not following up with a prospect because you’re afraid they’ll think you’re pushy. (It takes a minimum of seven to nine points of contact before a sale is made. 48 percent quit after the first call and 81 percent close on or after the fifth call. Which side do you want to be on? )
Here are five ways to get over being scared and get noticed:
1. Be a resource for information –Post interesting articles on your blog, offer to write guest posts on other blogs, put together a newsletter. Do whatever you have to in order to keep your ideal clients coming back for more.
2. Stop selling and start serving – Listen to what your ideal prospects are saying on social media and networking groups. When they mention a problem, you can offer a solution. Post a question and use their answers as content for an upcoming blog post. Share it with the ones you featured and they will in turn share it with their networks.
3. Be grateful – How do you thank your customers? Let them know how much you appreciate them by delivering superior customer service, listening to their needs, and being responsive.
4. Be vulnerable –In other words, be so sure of what your business stands for that you will not compromise. Dr. Brené Brown, author of Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead says vulnerability is about being all in. “It’s a willingness to show up, be seen and take chances,” she says.
5. Start with who you know –Leverage your relationships with friends, family, and current business associates. Word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of PR. Add in the power of social media and you have “word of mouth ” on steroids.
You can choose to use fear to your advantage or you can let it hold you hostage. It’s easy to become paralyzed by overwhelm and not do anything, or do something that has nothing to do with the end goal, but as writer Helen Rowland said, “you will never win if you never begin.”
Game on.