If you are an entrepreneur, you are in sales and you most likely spend part of your day growing your business by contacting leads and talking to prospects.
I think we are all in sales in one way or another. Whether you convinced your husband to marry you, you convinced your daughter to go to bed on time or you convinced your teacher that you deserve an A, you are in sales.
I think it’s important to learn the art of sales. If you don’t, then you will always position yourself to only be the one that is “sold to” – and that’s no good!
Even though I’ve been an entrepreneur for over a decade, I still make cold calls every single day. If you are like me, some days you love it, some days you hate it, but either way, generating new business is part of the responsibility of being self-employed.
I’ve put together this little list of Freelancer Do’s and Don’ts to give you a little giggle the next time you have to pick up that phone!
Do’s
Do remember that you will meet the most amazing people that will change the entire course of your business!
Do remember that will you get rejection, but that’s okay, it’s just part of being an entrepreneur. Every no is one person closer to a yes!
Do remember that YOU have the control. You decide how many calls you’ll make, and you decide the quality of each lead. You control every conversation. You are in control of your business.
Do remember that confidence is key. Even if you have to fake your confidence a few times, you’ll notice that you’ll actually start to feel more confident. “If you think you can do this, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. Either way, you are right.” – Henry Ford
Do remember that this is a numbers game. People will let you down, but numbers never will.
Do remember to protect your heart; do not get emotionally involved with any lead until after they’ve hired you, and even then, be careful.
Do remember that “we attract who we are, not who we want”. It is important to work on personal growth everyday.
Do remember that the people you meet, you may work with for the rest of your life. It is important to never be misleading and have your integrity in place.
Don’ts
Don’t underestimate the importance of making a strong first impression.
Don’t get into a long conversation about your business when you first meet someone. If you do that, they will make a decision based on your conversation instead of going through the process of checking you out properly. That is not fair to them, and it isn’t fair to you.
Don’t prejudge people. You never know! It is a ‘no’ if you don’t ask.
Don’t be distracted while talking to someone about your business. You have about one minute to keep their attention, and they deserve your full attention during that minute.
Don’t underestimate that we live in an image based society. People will judge you by how you look. Try to look polished. Even if you have on blue jeans, you can still look polished.
Don’t be comfortable… step out of your comfort zone. Call the people that make you sweat!
Don’t beg anyone to hire you. That is an insult to you and your business. They are either ready or they aren’t. They are either going to do it or they’re not.
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