Hubby and I decided to give everything to the business this year and if things still don't look up in the New Year we will have to have a rethink. The part of the business we both loath is those dreaded sales calls. So my partner made a deal with himself, he would invest in his body and bodybuilding dreams as a reward for making those calls. It was an excellent plan, the gym is something he loves doing, it makes him feel better about himself, which in turn will give him more confidence to make those calls. And for a short while it worked well.
What's happened in reality? I'm stuck with the job of phoning prospect clients to invited them to a business lunch despite feeling pretty low down on the old mood and confidence scale. The resentment is of course back, because despite how crap I'm feeling if a job needs doing, I need to at least try. It's in my nature. And I think it's a character trait others don't like.
Rationally I think what is it I'm scared off? The worse thing that can happen is no one will come and no new business. Of course the real fear is making things worse. But selling like everything else is a skill. I'm concerned and worried because I haven't had much experience in this area. If I made the calls my technique would get better with practice and the fear WILL get smaller.
I've have made a sales plan, I've researched how to do it. Now it's just a matter of finding the right restaurant and picking up the phone tomorrow morning. I'm confident about our product and I know it's a great deal.
Hopefully this will get hubby in the mood to do some of the things on my dreaded job list, like formatting my non fiction book so I can self publish on kindle. Plus finishing a web page and helping me with an application letter. But if not, I'm sure I will work it out for myself.
Unfortunately, I have unsettling little thoughts. And I think this is what is the real reason for the anxiety. I have a long history of jumping in and helping or saving people. The problem is that it never ever works out in the long term. At first friends and family are always amazingly grateful that you stepped in. I have learnt to my cost that this will probably come back to bite me. Who was it that said 'no good turn goes unpunished?' I honestly don't why it turns sour, maybe by stepping in I'm not letting them get over their fear and then in turn feel better about themselves. But if the last few weeks have taught me anything, it's that no matter how good intentioned you were stepping in to and sorting out other people problems, even when they have asked or begged for help, doesn't end well.
And hubby hasn't asked me directly to make the calls, he's just procrastinated making them himself for the last five weeks. Then he's got moodier and moodier about it, because he knows he isn't sticking to the deal. And he's made everyone suffer for his feelings of guilt. He's a head in the sand kind of guy were I'm all for jumping out of frying pans kind of girl.
The real irony of this is that when we first started the business I wanted to turn take the horrid jobs. But hubby got all 'I want to do this myself and prove something' on me.
Never mind, by tomorrow evening the Pint Pot and sales calls will be over and I will be feeling the after effects but a whole lot less nervous! And if things do come back to bite me? Well, there's nothing I can do about it.
I need to think of the best outcome. There's a possibility of me having a Pint Pot on my mantelpiece and money in the account from new business.
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