“Am I too boring?”, “Is someone even watching?”, “Is anyone interested in anything I’m struggling to sell?” and most importantly “what will people say?” These are some questions that pop in mind of every businesswoman and other women who are trying to start or continue their online journey. This is a different kind of social anxiety that comes across every other woman trying to kick-start her business online. There are a number of factors that induce these types of fear and questions in the mind of the woman, for example, seeing people being mean to you for no apparent reason, hearing some harsh comments and the fear of not being good enough to showcase your talent, product or service online on the social media platforms.
I know you have heard your recorded videos and podcasts, and you are cringing over your voice, on how squeaky and unpleasant it is to hear. Suddenly, the bubble of confidence you have built to muster up some courage for taking this initiative is nowhere to be found. You start to question about your worth, and you have started fearing that you are not good enough to carry on with that. But wait, let me tell you that your mind is just fooling you. All that you’re doing is examining everything from the lens of your fears which is making things look miserable and not worthy enough to put it out there on the online world. If you keep on stepping back, there is no way this fear is going to leave you. You have to sit with that fear and let it grow out of your mind.
And here are some tips that may help you in your journey of making your business visible online:
Overcome the fear of not being good enough
You are probably thinking that your idea, product or service is not something people will take a genuine interest in. Right? Because you are most probably thinking that it is something boring or maybe unnecessary. So, first you have to acknowledge the importance of the product or service you have worked so hard on. You have to understand that you felt that this product or service was missing in the market out there, and you worked on it. Let it sink in that you are somehow filling up the gap of the market. If you have at some point thought that you needed this product or service because it was non-existent on the market, then there is a high chance that there is someone out there who is searching out for you, for your idea and for your product or service.
Reframe your fears
While growing up, you might have seen some random kid in school who always got sick during school exams, competitions or social activities. The fears of social interaction and the possibility of failing had overpowered his abilities to perform. But if we sit down with that child and tell him that you are nothing but a warrior, that this is how your body prepares you for the bigger tasks. It’s just a preparation for the best outcome. That child will be boosted with sudden confidence, and he will come back stronger. Right?
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” — Helen Keller
It is basically changing the perspective and narrative. This change in mindset can help you go far and far. The thing you have to do is to reframe your fears. If you are fearing about being bullied online, just think of it in this way, that the comment is coming out of someone who is not standing in your shoes or maybe someone who doesn’t even know the basics of marketing etc. You have to sit with your fears to kill their potency.
Write down the worst case scenarios
Yes, you read that right! Write down every single negative or fearful thought coming across your mind. Jot down every incident you are fearing that might happen. After that, write down if that actually happens how will you tackle it. Trust me, this will help you to calm down your anxiety, and it will help with your confidence as well. If you let your mind prepare for the worst scenarios beforehand, you will definitely be able to handle all the little slip ups or mishaps that may happen without panicking and without the thought of giving up.
Finally, remember that things are always hardest the first time around and after that it will never be the same, it will just get better and better. Take a deep breath and go for it. I promise you that after some years you will be thanking yourself for giving it a go!
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