Have you ever heard the expression, “Closed mouths don’t get fed”? Well they don’t. And when you’re not telling people about your business, it’s likely that you aren’t making any money.
Being an outspoken business owner can be a challenge for many people. We sometimes feel like telling people about our business will come off as pushy, or we don’t want to bug people or be annoying by talking about our business too much. Other times, we are unsure of our ability — or just flat out afraid of being criticized and rejected.
But speaking up about your business is extremely important. It could be the difference between you succeeding and failing in business. So how does one get rid of that timidity that plagues so many business owners and become a savage who gives zero fucks when it comes to telling people about their business? Here’s how…
Don’t apologize for your talents.
Stand firmly in your gifts and be confident in your ability to deliver a quality product or service. Don’t minimize what you do with words like, “my little business” or “I’m just a small time business owner”.
You’re destined for greatness, so you should carry yourself accordingly. Be proud of the accomplishments you’ve made thus far, because — wherever you are — you’ve come a long way.
Don’t be afraid to tell people about your business.
Share your gift often and tell people what you do. You never know who you’ll meet. Telling any and everyone about your business could land you your next customer or help you meet someone who can help you somewhere down the road.
Even if you think people are tired of hearing about your business, tell them anyway. Worst case scenario is that they will know so much about your business that if they meet someone else who could use your product or service, they will tell that person about you. That’s word of mouth marketing at it’s best — and it’s free!
Don’t charge less than you know you’re worth.
Your friends and family want discounts? Don’t give it to them. Anyone who truly supports you will pay regular price. If your product or service is something they can’t afford to pay for, that’s fine. They’ll find other ways to support you with the resources they have.
Also, don’t be ashamed of your price. Do industry research to develop a pricing strategy that is appropriate for your business, but do not feel bad for asking people to pay your fee. If it’s not reasonable for them, they aren’t your ideal customer anyway so let them go.
Don’t care what other people think.
No matter what you do, someone somewhere will always have some sort of criticism for it. Ignore what other people think, and continue to do your thing.
Now, that doesn’t mean that you should ignore feedback from your target audience or your customers, but when people are just being haters, you shouldn’t allow them to stop you from going after what you want.
Don’t be afraid to ask for the sale.
If you don’t make sales, you don’t make money, and the only way to make sales is to ask for them. Directly ask people to buy your product or service. When you post to your social media, email your list, post an article to your blog, or anything else, always include a call to action telling your audience exactly what you want them to do next.
Tell them to click a link to buy or sign up for your email list or anything else you want your audience to do. If you don’t tell them to do it, they won’t do anything, so get to telling them exactly what you need them to do.
Don’t give up.
Most importantly, never give up. You’re doing what you love to do, and making major moves in your life. Sometimes things will be hard and you’ll have to dig deep for strength to get you through, but the pendulum of good fortune will always swing back in your direction.
You’ve done all the hard work of researching, planning, and building your business. Don’t allow it to fail because you where too afraid to put yourself out there and tell people about your product or service. Practice these tips I’ve given you in this article and sharing what you do will get easier and easier every time you do it. Before you know it, you’ll be a savage about your business.