“If you think ‘sell’ is a four-letter word, you’re in trouble already. Many experts say the most-overlooked cause of new-business failure is that fledgling entrepreneurs are reluctant to get out there and sell what they’ve got – especially if they come from a structured corporate environment where sales was always someone else’s job.”
That’s the answer to question four in the Fortune Small Business quiz this month:
“Are you ready to start a business?”
Being your own boss may sound great, they write, but not everyone has what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. Do you? Quiz here. Scroll down about half-way.
I believe that newtork marketers tend to do our industry an injustice because many nm promote a business they say requires no selling because they know that people fear that word.
Why don’t we just tell them up front that it requires selling, be honest and avoid that failed individual? They can still use the products even if they aren’t selling them, can’t they?
Bravo, Nicole. When will the industry leadership realize that selling, not “sharing,” or “educating” or “sending them to your website” are not effective replacements for selling. And, when will we (meaning those of us in the trenches) get over our fear of selling and our fear of telling others that it’s what we do?
I agree with you that we ought to be honest and upfront all the time. And, we ought to be ourselves. Be real. If selling a product or service isn’t what someone wants to do, that’s okay. We should thank them for their honesty and move on. And, if they want to be a customer, that’s okay, too. But, remember, as Ms. Stud says, only 1 in 100 may want to sell, and only 1 out of 10 may want to buy. Selling is like mining for gold or diamonds. You have to sift lots of sand to find them. On the wall over my desk is this saying:
“When you hunt for the gold, don’t forget to bring a big shovel.” Whether your “gold” is the money or the love of doing this type of business, you’ll still need a big shovel. By the way, most gold prospectors believe that a half-ounce of gold per ton of ore makes for a successful mine. Maybe we should apply that premise to our businesses. If we get 1 out of 100 that’s great success. And 10 customers out of 100 is bordering on cosmic. Put into that context, it becomes easier to see what our efforts must be, regardless of our motivations.