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?