Why Am I So Nervous About Making a Sale?

 Why Am I So Nervous About Making a Sale?

Connection marketing. It's essential for any internet business to thrive. The success of your company will depend on your ability to build relationships online. Easy enough idea, isn't it? However, in reality, what is the meaning of "relationship marketing"? Basically, it's the idea that you need to build trust with your site visitors and ezine readers before you can expect them to do business with you. This is particularly true in the internet world where people are rather anonymous. You need to be dedicated to providing excellent customer service and willing to lend a hand to those in need without expecting anything in return, other than the joy that comes from making a positive difference in someone else's life and the respect and confidence that others will have in you and your company.

You need to make a profit for your firm to succeed in the long run. Anxieties about coming off as "selling something" to people with whom they have established the relationship necessary to make a transaction is a typical one among new and even established online businesses.

Put another way, "relationship marketing" has put an excessive emphasis on the connection to the point that it feels intrusive and disrespectful. When starting an internet business, many people worry that they are betraying the trust of people they have become close to. Obviously, you shouldn't feel that way if you truly believe in your product or service and how it will help your customers. Your negative emotions are valid if you do not feel this way. In other words, you are using the situation.

No one, not even the business owner, is immune to the pain of selling. Readers of my ezine have sent me multiple angry emails in the last year or two in reaction to advertisements for initiatives that I support. In these types of messages, the central idea is that I am obligated to my readers as an authoritative source of information, and I have somehow failed in this duty by engaging in such overt program promotion to supplement my online income. It has been suggested that I should be satisfied with the revenue stream from paid advertisements in my ezine and not try to gain money by marketing outside programs.

To counter this line of thinking, all I have to say is that I am in the business of running a company. It's not that I genuinely care about my website and ezine; I work on them all the time. I assure you, I am not that honorable. My goal is to make money. The pursuit of financial gain is NOT inherently evil, contrary to popular belief. Misleading, deceiving, or otherwise abusing another person's confidence in order to pursue one's own profit motive is the only time it becomes a bad thing. If you wish to earn a legitimate profit, there's no need to apologize or feel bad about it.

Where do you stand? Does the thought of advertising your goods and services give you the willies? If you're hesitant to approach potential clients about making a sale, here are some tips to help you overcome that fear and manage your relationships with them in a way that makes it clear that you're not only helping them, but also trying to make a decent life for yourself.

Put Your Goals in Crystals

Before you even think about making a website or releasing an ezine, you must determine your ultimate goal. Is it something you do for fun or for profit? The presence or lack of a profit motive is what differentiates the two. In that case, it's acceptable. Instead than worrying about making a profit, focus on having fun and earning enough to meet your expenditures. However, bear in mind that the need to generate a profit is absolute in a business setting. It is the very essence of your company. Without a doubt, you'll be serving multiple functions. The profit motivation, however, is crucial.

Pursue your goals until they become crystal clear. Some people can make up their minds after giving it some thought. When some people think about crystallization, they picture it as stark black and white. Jot down your goals if that describes you. Making a profit should be one of your primary goals while operating a business instead of a hobby. This is, of course, assuming you are not operating a non-profit, but we will ignore that for the time being. Take note of that goal's nature. Let it be. DO NOT let up in your pursuit of it. Keep quiet and don't be embarrassed. Give yourself license to actively pursue financial success as long as you do it legitimately, honestly, and ethically. Just why is this the best strategy to solidify your goals? Because they will serve as a guide when you face the doubters who are bound to appear in your morning meal.

ADHERE TO THE EXPECTIONS OF A PROFESSIONAL

Developing a personal connection with your clientele is NOT what the term "relationship marketing" implies. Just be yourself and keep things professional and businesslike; be pleasant, but not *overly* personal, and you'll save yourself a lot of trouble. Being kind and helpful in a businesslike, professional way does not have to cross the line into being too personal. People you're interacting with aren't pals; they're paying clients. Naturally, you can develop friendships with certain of your customers over time. However, you shouldn't begin relationship marketing from the premise that you need to be friendly with your customers. Not you. You won't set any unreasonable expectations if you act professionally and in a businesslike manner.

ALWAYS DO WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR COMPANY

You can keep yourself in control by regularly comparing your choices to the standards I want to know if this choice is good for my company. If that's the case, go ahead and do it, keeping in mind that there are times when doing what's best for your company is more important than receiving monetary compensation. In that case, skip it. On occasion, your company's bottom line will benefit from an action that your consumer would see as a favor. Consider a situation where you have an ongoing relationship with a customer and decide to give them a refund for a transaction, even though they are not formally entitled to one. As an example of something that benefits your company, you do this for the sake of customer service.

But there are instances when clients might benefit from this policy. One approach to avoid this kind of issue is to subtly let your customers, readers, or visitors know that you are doing something for business purposes if you decide to do something that benefits them more than what they are entitled to. Limits must be imposed, though. Before a decision becomes too personal and hurts your corporate interests, know how far you're willing to go.

If it's the correct choice under all circumstances, being uncomfortable saying "no" should not be an excuse to put your company's best interests on the back burner.

Strive for candor and directness.

Don't be bashful about telling potential clients how much you value their business and the things you have to offer. Discuss it openly, honestly, and directly. For instance, if someone contacts me via email seeking my guidance on starting an internet business, I will suggest things that I believe will be useful to them. My usual go-to recommendations for those just starting out in internet marketing are Cookie Cutter and Cash Cow. Why? To start, I have faith in both products and think they provide a beginner with a quick and cheap approach to learn a lot about online business.

Additionally, I receive $20 for every program that I sell as an affiliate. Would I suggest any unaffiliated products to my business clients if they were directly related to what we do? No. Why? My goal is to make money. You can't buy my time. Most importantly, I have faith in the items. I would also provide alternatives to the things I was endorsing if I thought they were superior. But it was after I became an affiliate and started making money off of my suggestions.

However, every once in a while someone will ask me to suggest a webhost. The major webhosting companies are too pricey for me, therefore I never promote them, even if I'm an inactive affiliate for one of them. When someone asks me about my web host, I usually point them in the direction of my own. Neither am I an affiliate, and I stand to gain nothing financially from this suggestion. I haven't signed up for my webhost's affiliate program yet because I'm not that enthusiastic about webhosting as a product to promote. Just with Cookie Cutter/Cash Cow, it's merely an honest recommendation. I only benefit monetarily from the second option, so I figure, why not? As long as your recommendation is genuine, there's no reason you can't earn a profit alongside it. Everyone involved benefits. Put your fear of selling to rest. If you don't have it, your business will fail.

No way!

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