The Critical Entreprenurial Ingredient: Persuasion
I’ve started writing my eBook (was up LATE last night on a roll, actually!!). Brian Clark over at CopyBlogger wrote a great post today on coercive copywriting. In it he talks about coercion in marketing and writing - when it’s ethical and when it’s manipulation. Since it fit well with some of the things I was writing about last night, it seemed perfectly timed to share a little excerpt from my draft.
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I know I say that my first two home based businesses failed. I suppose it is not a very fair statement, because for the first two years of my freelance graphic design business, it THRIVED. I had referral business coming in left and right. I never had to go on sales pitches. Work was just handed to me. I worked my tail off for my clients, they knew it, and sent me more and more work. I was solely in charge of design and art production of the Claire’s Accessories web site for over 6 months, and I helped to triple their repeat visitors over a 3 month timeframe. I did work for Ameritrade, the Follett companies, Aon Insurance and a large Chicago rock radio station, the Loop.
But then two things happened. September 11th, and two months after that I was pregnant with our third child. Remember what I said about struggling with depression? Well, these two events were more than I could handle with the resources I had available to me at the time, and my motivation and self esteem started spiraling out of control. Badly.
This is why I discuss depression so openly on this blog and in my articles, begging and pleading my readers to NOT work at home when they are depressed. It is a recipe for disaster. I know because I lived it.
So, how did I turn it all around? I learned how to sell.
Yes, you read that correctly. I took a sales seminar. Now, before I lose you, let me explain to you WHY acquiring sales skills saved me, saved my family, saved my marriage, and indeed, saved my ability to be a successful business woman. It’s really not sales – its persuasion.
You see, when I was depressed, I couldn’t persuade myself to look at life differently. I couldn’t persuade myself to act in a manner that I knew would be more congruent with a happier life. I couldn’t persuade myself to take care of myself.
When I procrastinated in business, I couldn’t persuade myself to take action.
When I was harsh (on myself and on others), I couldn’t persuade myself to find the good in the situation.
When I was working at all hours of the day and night, I couldn’t persuade myself to take time for myself and my family.
I knew what I needed to do to get better. I knew all of the things that made a successful business - I had just done it for two straight years. But I just didn’t DO it. In other words, I was constantly at the effect of my own life and my own disempowering emotions rather than at the cause.
When I took that sales seminar, I realized that I had been selling all along. In fact, I had been a damn good saleswoman during the last two years of depression. But I was selling the wrong product! I was selling myself on my shortcomings and on my “story” of ‘I can’t’. I was selling others on my limitations, and selling my customers on what I couldn’t do for them – much of the time I talked people out of working with me!!
When I left that sales seminar, I had changed. I became a new person overnight. Though the changes I made started well before that seminar it was the lessons I learned that weekend that enabled me to FINALLY move to become the CAUSE of my life – and NOT at the effect of my own emotions.
How? Well, I guess you’ll have to buy the book when it’s completed… 
(Don’t worry, I’ll publish more excerpts along the way :: stay tuned!)
Explore posts in the same categories: Work Life Balance, Overcoming Obstacles
September 6th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Wendy, Yes. This is a wonderful post. “I was selling myself on my shortcomings and on my “story” of ‘I can’t’. I was selling others on my limitations, and selling my customers on what I couldn’t do for them – much of the time I talked people out of working with me!!”
And “When I left that sales seminar, I had changed. I became a new person overnight. Though the changes I made started well before that seminar it was the lessons I learned that weekend that enabled me to FINALLY move to become the CAUSE of my life – and NOT at the effect of my own emotions.”
I can totally see that happening. I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to send some of this along to one of my sisters. She’s going to love it. And you.
Thanks!
September 6th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Wendy,
Thanks for sharing the beginnings of your ebook. This is a real treat!
I’m struck by the connections you’ve made between learning sales and finding real success as an internet entrepreneur. I couldn’t agree with you more! This is an essential step for ANY entrepreneur, but especially for those looking to offer a service to the world.
You’re absolutely right: we must learn to sell ourselves. And as any salesperson knows, the key ingredient is belief in the product. If you don’t believe in it, you’re not going to sell it.
Cultivating genuine belief in yourself is never an easy step, but is a MUST before starting a business. Sure, one can grow through entrepreneurship, but the real change takes place at the end of the day.
-Mindful Entrepreneur
September 13th, 2006 at 7:54 pm
Katiebird - you crack me up - can you send this to your sister? Hhmmm… let me think about that for a second… she wants to spread the word about my blog to people she loves… um - OK!!!
Jason - you are SO right. Would love to read a post from you on the subject of believing in your main product - yourself!
September 20th, 2006 at 10:15 am
[…] This upcoming weekend I am gearing up to be a trainer at the sales seminar that saved my life. I’m super-duper excited. In honor of this, and the critical material we cover in the live event, I’m going to do a series of posts this week on Values Conflicts. […]