Does Fear Keep You From Attracting Clients?
No one wants to hire someone who isn't excited and sure of his skills and services, and if you are fearful of meeting new people and networking, it is quite possible that you don't come across as upbeat and confident as you should.
And what happens next? The people who are your prospects will sense your nervousness and hesitancy and are much more likely to wonder if you and your services are any good.
I remember forcing myself to attend networking events when I really didn't want to go. I was tired and didn't feel like putting myself out there. I got nervous being in front of people who might need my services because I didn't want to sound like I was being pushy or salesy when I was talking to them. I'd get frustrated as I stumbled on my words. I felt shy and awkward. I certainly didn't feel confident!
Have you ever felt like I did? It doesn't feel very good does it? I bet by the end of an evening like that you probably didn't walk away with many leads, new business, or valuable connections. You may not even have met very many people because you spent your time picking at the food being served or hanging out with someone who you already knew because it was too scary and nerve-wracking to do anything else. Am I correct?
So if this is what happens to you when you network, don't be surprised if your networking efforts aren't paying off.
People want to hire and work with people who come across self-assured and confident (without being cocky of course) because those people appear to know what they are talking about. When you are feeling confident and interacting with ease, it helps people to feel a sense of trust in you and what you say.
So what can you do if you don't always feel confident when you are mingling with people who could potentially become your clients?
Here are a few simple steps that I took that made a BIG difference in the results I got when networking.
I practiced my elevator chat – you have one, don't you?
Guess what happened? People flocked to me. It was the strangest thing. The simple steps I took to prepare myself for the networking event and the way I carried myself while there made me magnetic, and I came away from that event with an invitation to be interviewed on a local radio show, a list of people interested in signing up for my spring cleanse, and more new contacts than was usual for me.
This can happen to you too. Try the steps I took and see how your confidence levels increase while your fear levels decrease. You'll be amazed at what happens next!
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Is Follow-Up Phobia Stopping You From Getting Clients?
You know you should reach out and make that call or send that email but somehow you let day after day go by, and you still haven't followed up with the person you recently met who expressed interest in your services.
Why not? What's making you procrastinate? The person you need to contact gave you permission to contact her. She wants to learn more about you and your personal chef business. It's not like you are contacting her cold.
But still you hesitate. And the longer you hesitate, the less likely it is you will sign-up another client.
What's behind this seemingly illogical behavior? I think fear may be at the heart of the issue. And the first thing to do to work through your fear so it doesn't hold you back is to figure out what exactly you are afraid of.
So tell me. Do you have fear of any of the following things?
Suppose too many of the leads you follow-up with actually say "yes" to working with you? Now what? How will you handle the workload? You don't want your life to get too busy.
Solution: Having too many people wanting to work with you is a good thing to have. Recognize that you don't have to work with more clients than you want to. It is your business and you are in charge. Figure out a way to handle the excess. Perhaps you refer them to another personal chef and get a referral fee. Or maybe you eventually find a commercial kitchen to rent so you can service more clients.
Oh no! Now you actually have to talk to someone and "sell" your services. You hate selling because it makes you feel icky inside. You don't like when someone sells to you. Suppose your lead takes offense too? He may take offense even though he said he wanted to talk to you more. The process of closing the sale and getting the business makes you very uncomfortable.
Solution: Change your perception of selling. Think of any communication you have with a prospect as a chance for you to be of service to that individual. You are there to help him solve his problems and improve his life. You are offering him an opportunity. You are not selling.
Even though your lead has given you permission to contact her, she still may think your services are too expensive or she may not want to work with you in the end. You don't want to be rejected. You take it personally. You will lose your motivation to reach out to yet another prospect if you are rejected.
Solution: Try not to attach yourself to the outcome of any particular interaction you have with a prospect. Your job is to simply help your prospect decide if she should work with you or not. Remember, your goal is to be of service. Trust that your prospect knows how to make the best decision for herself and in the end, that is truly what is best for all. And if the decision is "no", bless her, review what you did well and what you could improve and then move on quickly to your next lead.
You wonder how the conversation will flow when you finally do have that in-person or phone discussion with your lead. Suppose you are awkward and can't think of the right things to say at the right time? What will she think of you? Maybe she won't see you as a professional with a valuable service to offer.
Solution: Write up a script. Think of all the possible things your prospect might say and brainstorm ahead of time for ways to answer or comment. Practice with a friend.
Even though your lead said you could contact him, you know he is very busy, and you don't want to disturb him. Every time you muster the courage to place the call, you tell yourself that it isn't a good time to call because he will probably be busy working, eating dinner, or relaxing with family. You don't want to interfere or come across too aggressive and pushy, so you keep waiting to reach out to him.
Solution: When someone expresses interest in your services ask him when the best time is to call. And remember, if you don't follow-up, you are doing a disservice to your prospect. If you never talk, he will never have the opportunity to benefit from your services and his life won't improve.
So what's the outcome for you if you let your fear-based mindset influence your actions? You will end up with too few clients to keep your calendar fully booked. You won't be able to turn your personal chef business into a thriving one. You won't be able to sustain yourself financially. You won't be able to help people have better lives by reducing their stress and cooking them good, healthy food.
Your dream won't be realized.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Figure out what the root cause is of your follow-up reluctance and then come up with a plan to help you work through your fear so you can take action. Choose some of the approaches above or come up with an approach of your own and then implement it!
What did you think of this blog post? Do you sometimes hesitate to follow-up on leads even if they have given you permission to call? What do you think makes you reluctant to follow-up? Please share your thoughts below in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you.
Interested in learning more about my client attraction services? Let's talk. Sign up for a Client Attraction Phone Consult with me. We will work together to clarify your business goals, uncover potential roadblocks, and then discuss how you can get more ongoing support to help you get more clients and income.
There is a growing amount of evidence that showing gratitude can increase energy levels, foster optimism and improve your overall satisfaction with life.
As a personal chef, I am sure you can benefit from increases in your energy level given how physically demanding your job can be. Also, if you have more energy, you are more likely to get your work done quickly. You'll have enough energy at the end of the day to write a newsletter, go to a networking event or make a follow-up call to someone interested in your services. All of these benefits of having more energy will make your business better.
Optimism can have a positive effect on your business too. If you believe you can make your personal chef business work, and you are hopeful everything will turn out just fine, you are much more likely to stay motivated and interested in taking high payoff actions to move your business forward day in and day out.
You are also much less likely to get bogged down in negative self talk that can hold you back like: "I am going to have a hard time being successful as a personal chef because of the economy, too much competition, the city or neighborhood I live in isn't the right demographic, very few people are interested in having a personal chef, etc….". Without a sense of optimism and a belief that it's possible to succeed, you will struggle to make your business work.
And when you are satisfied overall with your life, I believe you attract more positive things into your life. Your satisfaction and happiness with the way things are right now in the present moment will create positive energy that will ripple out into the world around you paving a pathway to receiving more clients, money, and success in general.
So take a moment this Thanksgiving to give thanks, and then think of a way you can keep reminding yourself to be grateful each day thereafter.
For me, I practice having gratitude first thing in the morning before I start my day. I sit in a quiet spot, close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and mentally review all the things I am grateful for in my life.
Let me share some of those things with you today.
You know, even writing this list right now is lifting my spirits! I can actually feel it.
So now it's your turn. Share below what you are most grateful for in your life. Once you share your gratitude, how does it make you feel?