I talk with many new and veteran Amazon Sellers. It is common for the new ones to be reluctant to start or keep going because they are afraid.
Afraid to make a mistake, to buy certain products for fear of getting their account banned, afraid to try something because they don’t know how to do it.
They’re simply afraid and paralyzed by that fear.
They won’t get anywhere until they overcome that fear.
Back in 1968, I was a Army Combat Infantry NCO in Viet Nam. I participated in many fire-fights and other front-line combat activities. I eventually got wounded and came home.
But, I suffered with PTSD although we didn’t know it as that back then.
Many years go by and I finally decide to apply to the VA (Veterens’ Affairs) for compensation for this PTSD.
As part of the assessment, a psychiarist had to ask me, “Were you scared?”
I thought, “Well, duh…”
But I actually wasn’t scared – in the civilian sense of the term.
When presented with danger, we often hear of the fight or flight response. Our body turns on the adrenelin and we either run TO the danger to fight it, or we run FROM the dander to escape.
As a trained combat infantryman, I alwys ran TO the danger. Afraid? Maybe, but not fearful.
There is a third response to danger – Freeze. We don’t do anything. We stand there, deer in the headlights, afraid to move any direction for fear we’ll get SEEN and eaten.
These responses aren’t good for business.
Freezing and not doing anything will end in a slow business death.
Running away from problems or danger will eventually shrink your business to unsustainable levels.
Fighting will only get you in trouble.
However, with training, my fight or flight response was informed. I knew what to do in various circumstances. I knew how to act decisively even when confronted with danger. I knew how to act with the least exposure for the situation.
It was training that allowed me to not be afraid when in combat.
So it is with business.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, fear can freeze you or cause you to run away. Fighting without knowing what you are doing will expose you to the “enemy” counter-punching you into submission.
The key is to learn. Learn about how to find and list products. Learn how to ship that inventory in so it will sell. Learn how to keep track of your business with accounting and analysis processes.
Don’t be afraid to fail.
I promise — You won’t die.
And you’ll learn – that it wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be, or that you’ll never do THAT again! (I’ve lerned that lesson a dozen times!!!)
Run your business without fear, or at least control your response to it.
John L