To Serve or to Sell….THAT is the Question!

In the climate we are in right now, the #1 question I get from my clients and entrepreneurial community is “What should I be doing right now?  Do I serve or can I still sell?”

I’ll be honest…when the pandemic hit, I wasn’t sure what the heck to do at first, either.  I felt weird “selling” and wasn’t sure how to show up on social media. I also wasn’t sure how to map out my day, keep my kid entertained, maintain sanity, etc.  Everything felt different and I began to question everything.

However, after talking to more and more entrepreneurs and doing some serious soul searching, I came to the realization for myself that the answer was to keep doing what I have always done.  For me, that includes showing up, serving, and staying open for business. Open for business means selling.  

The one change I have made is how I am serving.  I have done some pretty quick pivots in terms of free content and support in an effort to help as many people possible who are struggling with creating a new routine.  Getting organized and staying productive is my superpower so I will continue to harness that and help others do the same.  

So let’s get back to the selling part.  For some reason, the word “selling” has a really bad stigma.  Not sure why…but it just does.

Let me ask you this…what if Amazon stopped selling right now?  What if grocery stores stopped selling? What if drug companies stopped selling?  What if farms shut down and stopped selling their produce? The list goes on and on.

As an entrepreneur, I have products and services that I sell.  I have for years. I also have customers that rely on these products and services.  If I stopped selling, that could have a negative impact on them. Staying open for business means I can continue to provide for others while also providing for my family.  By staying open for business, my customers can then decide for themselves if they want to “shop” here or go elsewhere. The choice is theirs.   

Now let’s talk about what NOT to sell.  Now isn’t the time to prey on others misfortune for your own gain.  Now is not the time to pour salt in an open wound. Being open for business should not include pushing opportunities, products, or services on others.  As a business owner, your network knows about your products, services, and potential opportunities. They will ask you for info if they want it. They will come to you if you show up for them.  When I walk into a local franchise, the owner doesn’t ask me if i want to open my own store. They just serve me. That’s all. 

So back to the original question of “to serve or sell.”  I say do both. Perhaps selling IS serving!

Hopefully, this is something you have always been doing so it should not be all that different for you.  Perhaps you can serve a little more than before or differently now. We each have our own super power. Ask yourself how you can use yours to help. Then, show up.  Be you. Be honest. Be authentic.