My previous experience doing home parties in the Direct Sales industry, taught me a lot of about the limiting beliefs and fears that many women have around selling their products and services.

I saw women express worry or concern at being seen as salesy or pushy or feeling like they were doing something wrong by selling. Some women were completely uncomfortable calling people to share the business opportunity or to see if they wanted to book a party. That was pretty amazing given that they thought enough of the product to invest in it themselves.

Frequently, I would hear people say things like “I don’t know that many people”, “she doesn’t have the money”, “she wouldn’t be interested”, “I don’t want her to think I’m a part of some MLM scam” etc. In other words, reasons not to do anything that would feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or make you look bad in the eyes of others.

One of the ways to book parties was to make a list of everyone you knew and start reaching out to people to let them know what you were up to. Another way was to throw your own party and book parties from that one. Or to participate in someone else’s event where you could share the product and book parties that way.

I think the same marketing tools of direct sales apply to sharing your coaching services. If it’s challenging to come up with a list of potential leads in your network, you’re in resistance. If setting a date to host an event keeps getting pushed further and further out, you’re in resistance. If coming up with one package to offer potential clients seems really complicated, you’re in resistance.

Resistance is fear. Fear of not being good enough, fear about what others will think, fear of not doing it right or not being perfect, fear of getting a no or fear of rejection.

Leaning into the fear is courage. It takes courage and vulnerability to sell. It takes putting yourself out there to get crickets, praise and/or sales. In fact, making sales requires you to be open which exposes you to being hurt or to being appreciated more than you can receive or feel worthy of.

How does it land with you that it takes courage to sell?

If you’re looking for the guidance and support to take courageous strides in your life and business, let’s set up a Business Clarity Call.

The first meet-up I hosted was centered around a book. I’d never held a group before and I thought that organizing it around a book would be a great way for me to start. Still, I had reservations about leading a group about finding your soulmate when I hadn’t found “the one” and I was so frustrated with my dating experiences at the time.

I had thoughts like “how I can I help people find their mate when I haven’t found mine?”, “what if they ask me questions, I don’t know the answer to?”, and “what if nobody shows up?” Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

The other part of me thought, well I’m not claiming to have all the answers nor pretending that I’ve found my soulmate. Additionally, I realized that:
a) I really wanted to go through this book myself
b) I wanted to bring women together and facilitate the process
c) as a coach I didn’t need to have the answers but the questions that would lead to the answer.

Well guess what happened? 8 people signed up for that class. I FINALLY, went through this book that had been sitting on my shelf for years. As the leader, I had to go through the material so I could make the lesson plans. AND, I actually connected with my partner during that class and we have 2 kids.

Stepping up to lead and take more responsibility opened the door to ACTUALLY create the thing that I wanted.

Is there something that you’ve been wanting to offer or teach but feel like you are not qualified?

I recently listened to a program I created a few years ago called BLOOM INTO YOUR ABUNDANCE: The Art of Womanifesting. Being that it had been a couple of years since I heard it, I received it with new eyes and perspective.

I hadn’t planned on listening to the whole thing because it’s over 7 hours long. But, I got sucked into my own program and was amazed that I was having that reaction to it. I was actually able to go through the material as a participant. Of course, I enjoyed teaching it and I had so much fun creating it, but I don’t think I knew how good it actually was.

One of my biggest takeaways as a participant was to identify the qualities I think manifesting a particular thing would bring into my life and to start cultivating that quality NOW. I was also reminded how important it is to take focused action but to release attachment to the how and when of something coming.

I recommend reviewing your material when you aren’t trying to make sales or looking for feedback so you can get an objective view of your work. It can be so easy to see your own work through the lens of your own biases and take in everyone else’s stuff with an objective point of view.

Its such a rewarding feeling to digest something you’ve created with no agenda and notice how it makes YOU feel. And I gotta tell you it felt pretty darn good!

Not every action you take in your business is going to make you feel warm and fuzzy. It’s easy to avoid or resist taking steps that you know would move you further along out of comfort.

Who doesn’t love to feel comfortable? I know I do! But growth doesn’t happen in any area of our lives without stretching and doing something new. It’s the thing that breaks us out of our routine, that can infuse our life and business with new energy and YES money!

If you can accept that taking certain actions might make you feel uncomfortable, nervous, self-conscious, even scared than it becomes easier to make friends with change. You might also find that along with those feelings are excitement, curiosity and inspiration.

FEAR isn’t always a sign to stop, slow down or step back. Often times, it can be an invitation to lean in. A sign that there is a place for you to grow and expand.

Next time you find yourself feeling hesitant to take a particular step in your business ask yourself “what’s the best possible outcome for me if I say yes to this?”. That will help you focus on the benefits of moving forward rather than on the fear.

Where do you feel like you’ve been holding back?