Sales for the Small Business Professional

Self-promotion and networking can be overwhelming for small practice professionals. Most would rather focus on delivery of their services than developing business.  Many do well developing and executing marketing strategies but when it comes time to “sell” they feel out of their element. In my work with clients, particularly service and creative professionals selling is a common barrier. They would rather send an email, or find a technological shortcut than to interact with a prospect in a “sales” situation.

Last week a client and friend confessed her tortured feelings about self-promotion. “I feel like I am walking into a room of 1500 people and it’s overwhelming to figure out what to do,” she remarked.  ”Great!” I said. “You don’t need 1500 people you just need to make your way through the crowd to the intimate table of 10.”

Any process can be intimidating and overwhelming if you look at it in its entirety. Whether you are a business owner, a job seeker or someone returning to dating, you only need to take it one step at a time. The mental image of a small intimate table helped my client to ditch the willies and focus on a smaller, more manageable task. Giving her the visual of ignoring the larger crowd for the small tribe made the process much more friendly.

The job seeker who is overwhelmed by the unemployment numbers need only focus on their need for one job. They only need an offer from one company. The small practice professional does not need to reach 100,000 people, many would in fact be overwhelmed if their regular client list was more than 50.

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, do the math. I am sure that like my client you will discover that the way to go big is to think small.

How about you? Does self-promotion freak you out? What tips have helped you overcome the fear?

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In today’s culture many are comfortable with simply “hooking up.” A hook up bypasses the niceties that build intimacy over time and instead fast tracks to the end result without a commitment for a repeat performance. The motto seems to be “try, no need to buy.” Willing participants consent to mutual sampling and seemingly avoid the risk of effort without reward that comes from the pursuit of commitment. Hook-ups however are not without their own risks and messy complications.

Old fashioned relationships have a different rhythm and pacing. Seduction is slow and deliberate like a smooth jazz tune on a hot summer night. Romance ignites the embers of desire that are gently stoked until they become a rousing fire whose hot flames lick at the boundaries of reason. But unlike a hook up commitment quenches the flame while carefully preserving the fire. It is the dance of just enough until you have weaved a cord of trust that pulls you into an embrace.

In business the hook up is the drive by marketing attempt – a message that is sprayed upon thousands, an open invitation for anyone with interest. There is no first date, barely an introduction as your pursuer leads you from “hello” to the Garden of Eden. The pursuer has an itch – to make money – and will get it scratched by any willing participant. There is no small talk and no attempt to create even the façade of a relationship.

The business that is interested in commitment is willing to romance you. They want to get to know you because they are as picky as you are about giving away their intimacy. In this pursuit you are the object of interest. The committed business will engage you in conversation and will share details so that you get to know them too. They understand that building a relationship takes effort, and that effort is worth it to win customers that will be more than a one night stand.

In your business marketing are you hooking up or pursuing commitment? Hook-ups can be costly as you will constantly have to pursue new customers. While the effort of commitment can appear daunting in the end it is not only more effective but cost efficient. There is overwhelming quantifiable validation that it costs far less to keep an existing customer than to win a new one.

Hook-ups may win you some business but commitment will help you to build a sustainable business with long term customers. What choice are you making in your own business?

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In the United States, obesity is a huge health challenge. According to a new report “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010″ adult obesity rates increased in 28 states in the past year. It seems that as a culture we have chosen short lived instant gratification over long term health. The problem is not limited to our waistlines but has become a mindset that invades all aspects of our lives.

In this country we have narrowed our field of vision to today. We do what makes us feel good or that which is convenient in the moment. We buy now and pay later with our health, wallets and business practices. Unfortunately, we have passed these traits onto our children. Does it scare anyone else that cholesterol drugs are now being made in chewables for children or that more than 15% of high schoolers are obese?

To make decisions that would result in a better long term outcome requires changing your mindset about the short term, and a willingness to endure some discomfort as you make the shift.  We view saying “no” to the things we want today as a sacrifice, and we complain that it is uncomfortable and hard. To truly change we must come to a level of understanding that we are not sacrificing but making  a choice. If you choose to continue to routinely eat food laden with sugar, salt and fat you have chosen obesity, and a higher risk for diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses. If you choose to buy things you cannot afford on credit you are choosing debt over financial freedom.  You can choose business practices that deliver quick bursts of one time sales or customers but you will be sacrificing building a solid base.

This mindset has so pervaded our culture that it seems normal. Corporations choose short term profit over long term safety. Mines collapse, oil spills occur because the future was ransomed for the quick immediate hit. Television networks opt for “reality” shows because they’re cheap and easy as opposed to hiring writers to create quality content and devoting time to building an audience. You cannot even escape this mindset on social media, where users opt for spray and say spam messages rather than doing the work of finding people who need what they have to offer.

I don’t know about you but I’m in this for the long haul. I’d rather pass up unhealthy or questionable habits in life and business for a higher quality and longer length of days. In the short term, that means making choices about what really matters but in the long term I plan to still be here. How about you?

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