I don’t much like tedious work either, I get enough of that in my day job, so when it’s just me I tend not to do it. Trouble is, sometimes it has to be done if you’re going to get anywhere.

I’ll have to try having a little chat with the guy who’d rather hang around playing computer games than put up yet another page of tiger pictures or answer the same questions in email for the thousandth time. Maybe if we can reach some sort of truce, I can get to the point where I can quit my day job and only have to do tedious work for myself!

I think you are referring to my post about inner resistance where I am talking to my “inner teenager” who is complaining about answering tickets. I was afraid a potential customer might see that and get the wrong idea. It points more to needing to get some help (and I have since I wrote that), especially with billing tickets – the repetitiveness of it sometimes gets to me – I think it does with any business owner, the time comes to delegate and I had just let it go too long without paying attention to my needs for support in running things and having creative-work time.

But I like to answer the sales questions myself still a lot of the time because of just the things you mention – it’s an important part of my philosophy to be honest and genuine in the sales process and not just try to “make the sale”. I want that to come across. Occasionally I end up giving people tips or pointing them in a direction around related topics like web design or e-commerce, and I like that. I want people to know me and know that I’m there and that they can talk to me. That’s one of the benefits of going with a small company.

So yes, that is a good way of framing it and thanks for the reminder. =)

Only now, after reading some of your other stuff, I feel guilty about having bothered you to ask you silly trivial questions that you hate having to answer. I’m sorry about that.

So I want to share something that may help a bit with your perspective on that.

I asked you questions not so much because I care about the answers (any half decent webhost is faster than anobody’s home connection, nobody’s going to tell you that their uptime is lousy, you just have to find out for yourself, and your website clearly states your policy on bandwidth overages). I asked because I wanted to know how you would answer. That mattered to me a lot more than the actual content of the answers.

Maybe I’m unusual in that respect, but I doubt it. I think that when people ask you questions about your service, they’re really asking, “who are you, what are you like, what’s it going to be like having a professional relationship with you?”

I don’t know if that will make answering dumb questions like mine more tolerable or not. I hope it does. And if not, then my apologies for asking.

I think, however, that you’ll find me to be an ideal customer — I need no help or support whatsoever, all I need is an FTP connection, a site that’s always up, and email that always gets through. If you can do that, I promise I won’t bug you at all, except maybe to post random thoughts on your blog.

So, speaking as someone who was just on the receiving end of your sales technique, I have to say:

I agree with you 100%, and,

it worked quite well for me. You were honest and clear, answered my questions to my satisfaction, didn’t try to convince me of anything, and clearly stated where your service might not be a perfect fit (I think we can work around that). That’s the sort of attitude I want in a provider, and you really don’t want the sort of customer who _doesn’t_ want that sort of attitude!

I’m not quite ready to go through the pain of switching hosts yet, but when I am I’m switching to you. Well done.

Also, this is an awesome blog. Thanks for the insight, you’ve brightened my day!

Doesn’t it? Sometimes it seems like the whole world of commerce is backwards. Not wrong, just…turned backside front somehow. =)

Excellent! Your focus will not only make you feel more comfortable talking about what you do, but it will help your ideal customers recognize you as a kindred spirit. And your business is now a clearer channel for Spirit to manifest through you. Yay! I want to know how things progress!

Emma

That person asked me point-blank if I was willing to focus my business on this kind of work. At first I was taken aback, had fear about it and wasn’t ready to commit. But I’ve realized this is truly the kind of work I want to do, and it is OK for me to ask the Universe to support me in my path.

As a result I re-designed my website and message. And it feels more aligned with the truth of who I am– which means I feel more comfortable when talking with potential customers.

The ‘having faith’ component comes in as I wait to see if I can be my authentic self and have a thriving business at the same time. Yet my experience has shown that things inevitably come together for me when I do…

Blessings.