Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Someone please tell me that I am not the only person who feels like this!

My first few customers feel like job interviews. I`m very nervous, and I am concerned about what they think of me and how I rum my business. I want them to be impressed!

I just completed my first custom order this weekend, and now that the item is ready, I`m nervous as all get up to call the customer and let them know. I feel like I need to be beyond ready... to know exactly what I will say and how I will say it before I call. Am I nuts, or are our customers just like the big bosses at traditional employers?

Your customers hired you for a reason, because of what you do.  They already like your work.  Their opinions matter of course but you need not be nervous.  Chances are, they will really appreciate what you`ve done for them.

Don`t sweat the small stuff. Your product will speak for itself. Customers are just people, just like you are. Don`t worry about trying to "impress" them. If you are getting orders, then they are already impressed, impressed with what really matters, your product! Just be nice and courteous and helpful. You have to have your guidelines and be firm, but you can also work with them on the same level.

I try to help them in anyway that I can, the more successful they are, the more successful I am, it is to your benefit to learn to know them and what makes them tick and what works best for them.

Most all of our accounts come from someone trying our product and I am usually approached by the store owner, or someone that has tried our mixes contacts a friend that happens to own a store and I get a phone call and we have a new account. I have become friends with some of them. We exchanged Christmas Gifts. I got one of the neatest organizers I have ever seen from one of my retail clients out in Oklahoma. It is fantastic and she did it all herself.

My customers know we have a good quality product and if they are in a bind, I will stay up half the night getting things pulled and packed and shipped to them. They appreciate it and I appreciate them.

Just don`t be nervous, let your product speak for itself and don`t be afraid to laugh and talk with them. It will all be worth it in the long run. Relax, have fun and enjoy yourself!

Think about the years you`ve spent in school, being tested by an "authority" and having to prove that you know something. Then there`s the work world, working for an authority and proving that you`re worth the money.

Suddenly, you go off into your own business. Now who`s the "authority?"

It`s natural to accidentally believe that your customer is the "authority," and you`re being tested. No, you`re not. :-) It just feels that way.

YOU are the authority! The customer is coming to you because they believe you are an expert in what you`re selling. But because they have money and you want them to give it to you, your subconscious mind tends to get confused. It`s like they have a "grade" and you want a good one. See?

Relax. You`ve been hired on the basis that someone already saw your work, agrees with it, likes it, and wants to share in your life experience. Tell them your custom order is complete, and we`ll ship it as soon as we receive your payment. Or the remainder, if you charged a deposit.

This isn`t a test! :-D It`s supposed to be fun!