I’m wondering to what extent direct, person to person, sales skills are necessary for entrepreneurial success, especially in the context of a product-based business (like ecomm).
While I’m trying to get my own product-based business going, I’m helping another forum member by doing some sales prospecting for his service-based business. Doing so has helped me remember how much I loathe cold-contacting people. I did inside sales as a first job out of school and think I had a pit in my stomach the entire year.
I’m feeling the same feelings again. Pit in the stomach, etc. Woke up at 2am thinking about cold-contacting people again today. As completely ridiculous as this sounds, dialing out feels like a huge act of courage for me.
A friend/mentor is pushing me to keep going as sales is a skill I will need to develop for my own business. But I’m not sure.
I’m more than a little introverted. I’m an INTJ on the Meyers-Briggs. The funny thing is, I don’t mind talking to people in general. I don’t mind talking to warm sales leads. I have relatively little trouble speaking to folks at parties. I have no fear of public speaking. I just hate cold-contacting individuals. Even when I’m the customer. I’d rather order a pizza online than make a call.
Yes, I absolutely believe in the service I’m selling. Yes, I really think it can help the people I’m contacting. But I struggle with the cold prospecting and am wondering if it is a skill I really need to develop for a product-based business. If it is ever necessary, can’t I just hire around my own limitations?
I guess I’m thinking that with a product-based business, cold-prospecting isn’t necessary. But maybe that is naive. At higher, more successful levels of a product-based company, do direct sales skills come into play? Does the owner need to have these skills?
Part of me thinks: “Cold-prospecting is a learnable and valuable skill. The more you do it, the better you’ll become. There are techniques you can learn, etc.”
But another part of me thinks: “Why torture yourself to become barely competent at best when there are others who love this stuff and are naturally good at it? Focus on your own strengths.”
Do I really need to develop my own direct cold-contact sales skills for a product-based ecom business?
Thanks in advance!
While I’m trying to get my own product-based business going, I’m helping another forum member by doing some sales prospecting for his service-based business. Doing so has helped me remember how much I loathe cold-contacting people. I did inside sales as a first job out of school and think I had a pit in my stomach the entire year.
I’m feeling the same feelings again. Pit in the stomach, etc. Woke up at 2am thinking about cold-contacting people again today. As completely ridiculous as this sounds, dialing out feels like a huge act of courage for me.
A friend/mentor is pushing me to keep going as sales is a skill I will need to develop for my own business. But I’m not sure.
I’m more than a little introverted. I’m an INTJ on the Meyers-Briggs. The funny thing is, I don’t mind talking to people in general. I don’t mind talking to warm sales leads. I have relatively little trouble speaking to folks at parties. I have no fear of public speaking. I just hate cold-contacting individuals. Even when I’m the customer. I’d rather order a pizza online than make a call.
Yes, I absolutely believe in the service I’m selling. Yes, I really think it can help the people I’m contacting. But I struggle with the cold prospecting and am wondering if it is a skill I really need to develop for a product-based business. If it is ever necessary, can’t I just hire around my own limitations?
I guess I’m thinking that with a product-based business, cold-prospecting isn’t necessary. But maybe that is naive. At higher, more successful levels of a product-based company, do direct sales skills come into play? Does the owner need to have these skills?
Part of me thinks: “Cold-prospecting is a learnable and valuable skill. The more you do it, the better you’ll become. There are techniques you can learn, etc.”
But another part of me thinks: “Why torture yourself to become barely competent at best when there are others who love this stuff and are naturally good at it? Focus on your own strengths.”
Do I really need to develop my own direct cold-contact sales skills for a product-based ecom business?
Thanks in advance!
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum:
Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.