Comments on: How do you explain this thing! http://www.kylewith.com/2009/11/how-do-you-explain-this-thing/ The Thoughts of Kyle.... Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:40:07 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: hjmler http://www.kylewith.com/2009/11/how-do-you-explain-this-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-519 hjmler Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:05:25 +0000 http://www.kylewith.com/?p=1344#comment-519 It's hard at first - guy gets self-conscious and shy and you wonder to yourself what the hell the buyer's gonna really get for their money and try as you might you can't come up with a story that's good enough to believe yourself much less expect them to believe it... and if you do get some to write a check you feel guilty ? What I finally tried was to just level with 'em... walked into the gas station and found the owner and said, hey Fred, I need your help, I need you to buy a $50 ad and try it for a few issues - hell you spill that much at the bar Saturday night and this could do you some good and get you a tax credit to boot... when I treated him like a guy that might become a friend he met me half way... and sure, there will be folks that'll look at you like you're blood-sucking scum but mostly they'll recognize that you're out there trying to make an honest buck just like they are. They won't always buy - even after years working at it only about half the folks you approach will talk to you, but once they engage with you about a third will do business with you... As for explaining your blog to 'em - don't TELL 'em, SHOW 'em. They'll become curious... and leave a biz card with the URL on it in large type. And call back on the folks who don't buy - every time you make your rounds stop in and ask 'em how's business... you'll hear lots of bitching cuz everybody loves to do that, but if you sincerely take an interest in them in their times of trouble they might just remember you when things are going slick. If they've been in business any time at all they know lots of people so if you can really engage they'll point you to stories you should be writing about. You're just trying to make a living, so are they, and once they understand you're not trying to sucker them you'll get some respect ... and don't forget to ask your prospects if they know others who might be buyers - you'll be surprised how helpful they'll be... Good luck -and, like Red Green says, "We're all in this together." It’s hard at first – guy gets self-conscious and shy and you wonder to yourself what the hell the buyer’s gonna really get for their money and try as you might you can’t come up with a story that’s good enough to believe yourself much less expect them to believe it… and if you do get some to write a check you feel guilty ?

What I finally tried was to just level with ‘em… walked into the gas station and found the owner and said, hey Fred, I need your help, I need you to buy a $50 ad and try it for a few issues – hell you spill that much at the bar Saturday night and this could do you some good and get you a tax credit to boot… when I treated him like a guy that might become a friend he met me half way… and sure, there will be folks that’ll look at you like you’re blood-sucking scum but mostly they’ll recognize that you’re out there trying to make an honest buck just like they are. They won’t always buy – even after years working at it only about half the folks you approach will talk to you, but once they engage with you about a third will do business with you…

As for explaining your blog to ‘em – don’t TELL ‘em, SHOW ‘em. They’ll become curious… and leave a biz card with the URL on it in large type. And call back on the folks who don’t buy – every time you make your rounds stop in and ask ‘em how’s business… you’ll hear lots of bitching cuz everybody loves to do that, but if you sincerely take an interest in them in their times of trouble they might just remember you when things are going slick.

If they’ve been in business any time at all they know lots of people so if you can really engage they’ll point you to stories you should be writing about.

You’re just trying to make a living, so are they, and once they understand you’re not trying to sucker them you’ll get some respect … and don’t forget to ask your prospects if they know others who might be buyers – you’ll be surprised how helpful they’ll be… Good luck -and, like Red Green says, “We’re all in this together.”

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