I am going to be honest with you. Sometimes I just don’t do the things I know I must do to grow my business. I’ve dealt with this for years. When I was doing sales for the staffing company for which I used to work I made it my business to organize my office, clean my inbox, and brainstorm new ideas…. Anything to keep from picking up that stupid telephone and making calls. When I opened my own staffing company, I was super busy; managing staff, running payroll and working on my website (yes I did that). Once again, I had fooled myself into thinking that so long as I was “busy” I was being productive.

Eventually, I figured out that I was hiding. I was shrinking back from following up on hot leads, making cold calls….. building a business. I had a very sobering realization (not being able to make payroll will do that!) and I finally had to step into my big girl pants and pick up the phone. I had to not only attend events, but I also had to go to events with a plan and refuse to stand around chatting with people with whom I was already acquainted. I had to get comfortable walking up to complete strangers and drumming up a conversation while listening for cues that identified them as my ideal client.

Your ability to network effectively has a direct impact on your income. Generally, fear is the biggest culprit for people who are hesitant to make sales calls or attend networking events. If you are willing to exchange wealth for fear it is time to examine what is going on behind the scenes. I believe that relationships are the catalysts for success so I encourage you to determine which relationships you are avoiding. Is it really that initial interaction that is scary …or is the relationship that you really need to work on the one you have with yourself? You will never present yourself more boldly than you believe you are. Take some time to evaluate why you are filling up your day with excuses disguised as being busy. I started this by saying that I don’t always do what’s necessary either. When I feel this way, I do the same self-check I am advocating here. I make the necessary adjustments then I get on the phone or get in front of some of my ideal clients. Remember, things won’t change until you do. If you are sick of wondering how you are going to increase your income and grow your business let’s talk about how a shift in the way you do sales and networking can substantially improve your bottom line.