Does This Fear Inhibit Your Business?
Do you ever wonder why so many mission-driven entrepreneurs find getting really clear on what they offer and how to talk about it to prospective clients so difficult? FEAR plagues many women entrepreneurs who want to make a difference. Fear has many faces. I’ll talk about several of them here in the next few weeks.
Naming fears and clearing them out of your system is the BEST WAY for you to get clear on what services you offer in your business so that you develop ease enrolling your ideal clients.
Let's talk about one fear that may be affecting you and your business without your knowing it so that you can address and change it.
The FEAR of doing it WRONG!
If you are like most women in business, you fear
- messing up,
- not being perfect, and
- not knowing how to respond to a new situation or challenge.
Many men do not have this fear and in fact, are quite confident that they can do things they’ve never done before or been trained to do.
In contrast, many very capable women resist trying something new and instead seek another certification or more training so they are sure to be able to handle what might come up.
As you can imagine, fear of doing “it” wrong keeps many service-based entrepreneurs from getting clear on exactly what they offer, how it benefits their clients, and how valuable it is.
Many of us were raised to be “good girls” and want to please the people who are important to us. Caring about others is what we do as women, but in business we can carry it too far.
Let’s look at a way to address the Fear of Doing It Wrong:
Ask yourself where in your business and offerings you are trying to please someone besides yourself.
- Do you discount your prices?
- Do you stay unclear about your services and offers so that no one knows exactly what you do?
- Do you do too many trades or complimentary sessions? (* See my note below)
Behind all of these actions is a fear of not pleasing someone who matters to you. Ask yourself:
- Who is that person?
- What would s/he say if you tried something new or bold?
- How would s/he respond if you did something wrong?
As you come up with your answers to these questions, imagine a different response than fear.
- Could you laugh at yourself for thinking that anyone would really want less than the best for you?
- Can you release some of the fear by breathing it out and give yourself some freedom to move forward another step?
- How about giving yourself a Free Pass from Perfection for the next 30 days? Intend to do it wrong. Let yourself learn. You can perfect it later and the world will not fall apart.
It is critical to you and your business that you name, face, and disable your fear of Doing It Wrong. If you’re not clearly sharing your work and gifts with the people you are meant to help, they cannot get the benefit of working with you. And that is a shame.
Life and business are messy. There’s no such thing as perfection. Doing is better than perfect. We’ll all survive if you don’t get it right this time. Next time you’ll know how to make it better.
I invite you to disengage from your Fear of Doing It Wrong this month. Please let me know how it goes for you. You may be surprised at how much you like the freedom to learn by doing.
* When you’re first starting your practice or service business, it’s good to do a few no cost or low-cost sessions to get experience and clarity about who you like to work with. It’s also sometimes appropriate to do a trade with someone whose work you really value and want. And it’s surely good to give pro-bono work to someone who can’t afford your fees at this time.
But if you are not charging, not charging enough, or doing a lot of trades, you are sabotaging your business, not giving your clients an opportunity to invest in themselves, and telling yourself subconsciously that what you do is not valuable.
This is a dangerous trend and does not serve you or your clients. Look at what you are afraid of and summon up the courage to face it. I promise it will be rewarding.