Dear Banshee,
Let me first say how excited I am to have direct access to the great Banshee herself. After almost a solid year of gleaning little gems of wisdom on everything from politics to sports to dog shows and other events of importance, I can't believe I can actually bring my own personal fears/concerns/problems to the wise diva.
Anyway, here's my question. I've recently started a side business. Of course, I'm anxious to kick it into high gear and begin selling my products. Now, is it wrong to solicit friends and family? How much is too much? When one starts a business, selling make-up for example, how does one appropriately introduce one's acquaintances to the products without being annoying and manipulative? Do you have any tips to make sure my new business doesn't ruin my old friendships?
Signed,
Scared to Start Selling
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Dear Scared,
Wow. Thanks for the compliments. After all that, I feel a little nervous about coming up with an answer worthy of all that praise.
Here's my main advice: Believe in your product. If you truly believe that your product is a wonderful thing, then you will naturally want to share it with the people you know. So, go ahead and talk about it and encouraging people to try it. If you at it as sharing, then the people you're dealing with will likely feel that way, too. Just don't let it get too personal. If your friends and family don't embrace your wonderful product, then it is really just their loss. Even though you might lose a little financially, they're the ones missing out on the true joy of what you sell.
Good luck to you in your business endeavor.
~ Wild Banshee
If you have a burning question on your mind, please Ask Banshee.
