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There are Wolves at the Door and I Used To Be One

Guest post by: Teresa Bohannon

Article Overview: So you have decided to open your own business--to "Follow Your Bliss" as the wonderful folklorist and mythologist Joseph Campbell was wont to say. You are to be truly commended for finding the courage within to do so and taking that leap; but be cautious--there will be wolves at the door. I know this, because at one time I used to be one.

There are Wolves at the Door and I Used To Be One

If you have read any of my previous articles you already know that I currently own and have owned in the past both online and offline businesses--a used book and comics store, then one of the first women owned free-standing web design firms in the country.

However, In addition to being an business owner, I have also held several fairly unusual jobs in the past, including health spa manager, a campy Southern Belle vampire hostess for our local late night horror shows, vault manager and on-air jewelry and gemstone sales for a home shopping channel, and traveling saleslady.

I spent approximately two years between the births of my first and second sons, traveling around Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina selling banking services for one of the most prestigious banks in the nation. My products included banking services and credit card machines, plus check protection since this was long before the days of instant debit check cards.

I was quite good at my job. I made quite a lot of money in both salary and commissions. I also hated almost every single minute of it. It was not that I was ashamed of the products I represented, or that I did not like the people. The services were actually quite valuable, especially in the Western North Carolina region since there were hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting that area each year, and most of the people I met were great.

Unfortunately for me, most of the people in my region who were long term and/or successful business owners had already--long-since--purchased these services from one of my predecessors. That
left me with doing a lot of cold calling and trying to sell banking services to start up businesses with very little money. It did not take me long to realize that my previous experience as a business owner had given me far too much empathy to last long on the other side of the door.

After about 6 months you could have blindfolded me and I could have told you what town I was in by the way the people treated when I walked through their door:

The shop owners and businesses that were thriving and/or located in the areas that were thriving were invariably nice and friendly and even helpful with referrals whether or not they purchased
from me.

Those, in towns that were doing so-so, would politely listen to what I had to say and appear to at least give it serious consideration. The actual sale could go either way. It all genuinely seemed to depend on the needs of the business.

The ones in the poorest areas literally treated me like a wolf at the door--and who could blame them? Most were hanging on by the skin of their teeth, and the last thing they wanted or needed was
someone trying to convince them to buy anything else that would cut into their already narrow or non-existent profit margin. I left more than one place with tears in my eyes--some because the owner was downright mean to me, and others because they were obviously, genuinely concerned about the future of their own business and yet still managed to be very nice and even apologetic because they could not purchase my products.***

That is the problem with being a brick and mortar start up business. You will no sooner open for business than there will be wolves at the door. Some will actually be very nice people, merely trying to earn their own living by convincing you that you need their product to survive and thrive. And the fact of the matter is, you probably will need most them...eventually. They know that and if they are any good at their job--and in it for the long-term--they also know that you will appreciate and remember "not" being pressured into something you do not yet need. Others however, will be out-and-out wolves--in it for the short term--determined to make the sale at all costs, with no regard for what is actually best for you and your business.

This scenario is especially difficult for the new business owner, and even more so for women entrepreneurs who traditionally have less access to capital. It is often difficult to admit to a perfect stranger that you cannot afford to purchase something for your business. In fact, these face-to-face encounters can be downright embarrassing (at least until you become immune to them); but the fact of the matter is, you do not have to bare your soul, or even give a reason; but you do have to be able to say "No." Say so nicely, but decisively. Learn to say, “No, thank you.” with a genuine smile; because, if you cannot say "No." you will end up drowning in overhead and putting your new business in jeopardy.

So, be prepared, and be strong. The wolves will invariably appear; but with fortitude and a smile, you can handle them just fine. After all, being in charge is what being the boss is all about.

If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.
Joseph Campbell

*** I suppose you could say I was more of a sheep in wolves' clothing, because the truth of the matter is, I could not force myself to try to make a sale where one was obviously not needed, and still cannot. One time though I was fooled. I stopped by this little BBQ restaurant in a beat-up old service station to deliver and install a replacement credit card machine. One look, and I was furious that my predecessor had sold this tiny little place an expensive service that they obviously did not need. The lady behind the counter was very nice, and told me that there was a mistake and the machine was for their new location which would open in a couple of weeks. Well, their new location turned out to be a top of the line, elegantly appointed full-service restaurant featuring some of the finest BBQ and dining in the area. That was about 23 years ago, and their new location is still open, I know because I ate there the other day and it was delicious!

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Article Tags: banking services, births, business owner, campy, empathy, first women, gemstone sales, health spa, home shopping channel, hostess, night horror, northeast tennessee, offline businesses, predecessors, saleslady, southern belle, southwest virginia, spa manager, successful business, web design firms



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