Bypassing, tone deafness, launch mode – oh my!
Monday marked a point I had been planning for weeks, if not months.
The doors to my 12 month group programme Reconnect are open for the next 2 weeks.
That means I am officially in launch mode and feeling all the feels about it too.
Because by all accounts, I should be in full swing, bursting with high energy and positivity – dropping into your inbox with every opportunity; popping up on socials, shouting from the rooftops and sharing full blast about how great the programme is (because it is great, truly!).
And I know I’m not the only one either. So many of you with small business have offerings and services that are worthy of being out there in the world, and yet there is a fog of dis-ease hanging in the air that makes the idea of overt selling uncomfortable and awkward.
Still coming through the tale end of a pandemic and all the trauma that came with it, there is also the collective cess pit of the cost-of-living crisis; multiple on-going wars; climate crisis; incompetent political leadership; systemic oppression and the ever-increasing gap between haves and have not. It's A LOT.
Even if like me, you don’t watch the news – it’s impossible to ignore the times we are living in and both the individual and collective impact of each of these issues has on us, our communities, families and businesses.
Our use of social media creates a somewhat discordant environment where posts about rising energy bills; refugee stories and the increased use of food banks are squeezed in with cat videos; astrological memes and posts selling places on coaching programmes.
It is undoubtedly weird and if you are someone with something to sell, it can be off putting. You may be facing questions such as:
This is not the right time to sell – people don’t have any money so it feels awkward to ask
People will judge me for talking about this when there is a crisis going on
It feels too uncomfortable to share my joy when so many are suffering
There is too much uncertainty at the moment, no one is buying
I’ve missed the boat to sell as everyone is focused on saving money now
You could perhaps write these off as mindset issues and all you need to do is think your way out of it, bypass the discomfort, push on regardless and show up everywhere to sell your goods through gritted teeth – easy peasy right?
And yet, I know from experience that these thoughts do not just exist as thoughts. They are real, visceral feelings like fear, self-doubt, anxiety and judgement. They’ll also likely manifest as bodily sensations such as feeling sick; a racing heart; headaches and a heavy tiredness as your body seeks to run and hide away from all the things it perceives as threat. And mindset alone wont shift that, only bury it.
So, what are the options – to relent to your body’s wishes and retreat from selling; bypass those feelings and likely make yourself feel worse (and likely sick); or perhaps there is another way that honours the signals from your body AND your financial need to show up and promote your business.
A way that embraces the both/and of life rather than trying to ignore and bypass the nuance.
Here is the approach I have been practising (and I really do mean practising – it’s by no means perfect) that I invite you to explore and perhaps adopt for your own:
Acknowledging the state of the world by staying informed, yet avoiding “news doom” overwhelm by setting boundaries about the content you consume. Doing your part where and when possible, to help your community; amplify marginalised voices and continue to learn how to do all that better. As a values led human, coming back to this when things feel wobbly and self-doubt sneaks in means you can remind yourself that you’re living life with integrity – even when it feels challenging based on external judgements. You know in your heart what’s true.
Being discerning about how much you share; when and how. Educating and re-educating yourself around how some traditional ways of marketing/selling are harmful and why (creating false scarcity; focusing on people’s fears; ignoring lived experience etc). This helps to refine your approach; make it about being of service and building relationships rather than making the sale. You can get excited about and share the value and potential transformation that comes with your offerings and that feels good, not icky.
Remembering that by showing up and talking about the work that you do, you’re being of value to your community, customers and clients. Raising awareness of who you are; what you do and why is how to help your business grow - creating financial safety. When you’re coming from a place of security, you can show up even more for yourself AND your community. It’s win-win.
Remembering also that whilst you’re responsible for showing up and sharing, other people are responsible for how they respond to that message. Showing up in line with values: selling in ways that feel aligned and not toxic creates the opportunity for people to come closer and decide for themselves if it’s for them or not. To not show up, or to half arse it does your community a disservice as it makes it harder for people who would benefit to find and access your services.
Doing your own inner work. Being aware of how self-doubt, inner critics and other shadow aspects show up when it’s time for you to also show up means you recognise these thoughts and feelings for what they are. Using this information as a guide to find ways to manage the inner demons and soothe your nervous system so that you can continue to show up, even when it feels stretchy and nerve jangly.
This last one is perhaps the most important practice of all. Because that fear and self-doubt can be so loud, especially when you are moving into new or bigger spaces; showing up and selling.
All your old stories about your worth; other people’s judgements; comparing yourself to others; feelings of overwhelm and anxiety are real – they cannot be ignored or pushed away without coming back louder and with more venom later on.
This is why my own self-connection practices get amped up and have even more time and effort spent on them when I am doing something like launching in my business. They become an integral part of the plan.
This is when it is so important to be able to feel a sense of self trust that you can follow through with a plan and come out ok; vital to have a deep well of self-compassion when you stumble or that plan goes off track and this is when healthy boundaries; being vulnerable; understanding what your values are and being able to tap into your intuition – all powerful tools that can help you find ways to thrive in your business, even when the world is offering up crisis after crisis.
Reconnect a 12 month group programme that offers you the space to explore what self-connection means to you; how it can support you feel more certain about who you really are and empower you to take back control of your life.
Doors are now open until the 19th Sept and we begin with an opening circle on the 23rd Sept in line with the Autumn Equinox.
If this post has resonated with you and you would like to know more about how Reconnect could support you on your self connection journey, book in for a free, non salesy connection call today and we can have a chat in the time it takes to drink a cuppa.