Learning how to use my voice is such a steep learning curve for me. I am either too much of a pushover or when I try to exert my confidence I can tend to come across as aggressive. Socially awkward some would call it.
So when it comes to asking for money I always struggled to word things just right. This resulted in a Mexican standoff of sorts! Who would blink first? Me by asking for money or the client by actually paying. This was all in my head and the poor clients didn’t even know the dram they were causing me. Not only was this not good for my bank balance, it also affected my confidence. Was my business or work not valued by other people?
This all changed one morning. I happened to mention to Samantha I was feeling a bit down because I hadn’t got paid by a big client.
She straight away got me onto video chat with her and Gill McKenna. Together they composed a very polite, matter of fact email for me to send to this client. They reassured me, especially since I was worried that demanding the money would result in me losing the business.
My worries were not necessary though and I got a very swift apology call from my client, with payment soon following. It was almost as if using the correct business language made them take me more seriously as a business. Which to be fair is just the way the majority of people are.
For me this is difficult to swallow as any of you who have been in an email correspondence with me will know. I like to be real, keep it short and maybe a little of humour. I don’t think it is necessary to complicate things with big words or terms and conditions, but some people do.
Where I fell short Sam stepped in and helped me play the system. So while I won’t change my own outlook not to overcomplicate stuff, with the help of Gill and Sam I will put in place some templates that will protect me and my business in the long term.
That awkward voice won’t be silenced. It will be just be channelled in a different way.
So that’s how I got my “gold” and my voice thanks to Samantha Kelly and to the Women’s Inspire Network.
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