Get out of your comfort zone
The first time I heard the expression in the title was in 1995.
In a Amway meeting.
I was an Amway distributor for a year.
I "showed the plan" a few times. I was never able to approach people about my business opportunity. Well, almost never. I will always remember the last person I approached. It was a colleague at the office. His answer is imprinted in my mind :
In a Amway meeting.
I was an Amway distributor for a year.
I "showed the plan" a few times. I was never able to approach people about my business opportunity. Well, almost never. I will always remember the last person I approached. It was a colleague at the office. His answer is imprinted in my mind :
Encore une affaire pour achaler le monde !
Translated :
Yet another thing to bother people !
I've come a long way since then. I've been recognized by my peers in the Quebec software industry for hospitals as someone who gives top notch service.
However, expressing my opinions on business matters eluded me. Until I learned how my good friend Andy Anderson deals with people who dare say a business is ethical when it clearly isn't.
That was 3 months ago.
Day by day since then, I took chances at expressing my thoughts when I felt something wasn't right. First at IMfaceplate, when I dared say to a member sending me a PM with an unsolicited link that it was spam.
I was choosing my words very carefully, at first, afraid to get a bad reputation, making sure what I was saying was the truth, but saying it nice and gentle.
Only a few complained, saying they had the right to send a link since I had started following them.
At ApSense, I have made my "coming out".
Not only did I start to report abuses, I mentioned I was doing it. Right in the next comment.
Little by little, I got more guts. I found myself posting in comments that I expected more information when the person had written a short one-paragraph blog.
Am I a hero ? Am I better than the guy next door ? Or am I simply foolish ? Won't I alienate the members to whom I suggest to work harder on their blogs ?
It hasn't happened. Many times, either the people appreciate the comment, or they make the modifications anyway, cause other members say the same things I did.
If I sound like "Look, I know what I'm doing", you misinterpret my intentions.
What I'm trying to say is, it is possible to get out or your comfort zone.
I could have chosen to write general things on the subject.
Instead, I described my journey toward doing just that.
My comfort zone in IM has expanded.
I'll leave you with one last thought I've read in many success books and articles :
However, expressing my opinions on business matters eluded me. Until I learned how my good friend Andy Anderson deals with people who dare say a business is ethical when it clearly isn't.
That was 3 months ago.
Day by day since then, I took chances at expressing my thoughts when I felt something wasn't right. First at IMfaceplate, when I dared say to a member sending me a PM with an unsolicited link that it was spam.
I was choosing my words very carefully, at first, afraid to get a bad reputation, making sure what I was saying was the truth, but saying it nice and gentle.
Only a few complained, saying they had the right to send a link since I had started following them.
At ApSense, I have made my "coming out".
Not only did I start to report abuses, I mentioned I was doing it. Right in the next comment.
Little by little, I got more guts. I found myself posting in comments that I expected more information when the person had written a short one-paragraph blog.
Am I a hero ? Am I better than the guy next door ? Or am I simply foolish ? Won't I alienate the members to whom I suggest to work harder on their blogs ?
It hasn't happened. Many times, either the people appreciate the comment, or they make the modifications anyway, cause other members say the same things I did.
If I sound like "Look, I know what I'm doing", you misinterpret my intentions.
What I'm trying to say is, it is possible to get out or your comfort zone.
I could have chosen to write general things on the subject.
Instead, I described my journey toward doing just that.
My comfort zone in IM has expanded.
I'll leave you with one last thought I've read in many success books and articles :
IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO !
:)
:)
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Comments (19)
Patsy j Payne8
konnektions konsultant
OK, let me look at my friendship list...brb
Louise Venison, Philippe M, Paula van Dun, Wincer Song, Dawie, Katrina Oakley, pplcheryl63, mytreasure, Andy Zeus Anderson, Cindy Bolley, bjantiques, If I overlooked someone, I apologize. Each of these members has a different area of expertise.
Thank you, Philippe...holding my feet to the fire. Be more specific
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
I remember the first time I sat in that dispatcher's chair at the police department by myself with my knees knocking. I spent 8 hours listing every "what if" I could think of because I was actually scared to get a call, scared to answer 911, Scared to talk on the radio but I did it.
I was so terrified of not being able to do the job. Then I was terrified of not being able to do a good job. Then one day I looked up and realized that every time we got a new cop from the academy once he finis
Philippe Moisan16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
@Patsy, name those people, give other members the chance to know them too.
Patsy j Payne8
konnektions konsultant
Members of APSense have gotten me way out of my comfort zone. I'm accomplishing tasks I never would have thought of 6months ago. There are also several members here that encourage me to grow and pull myself up "by the bootstraps". I am very excited to learn from others and practice what I am learning.
Chuck Bartok10
Veteran Entrepreneur now Sharing
As always, Phillipe your analysis is spot on.
One thing to add is that those who are Marketing poorly can be contacted and it is not wrong to ASK them if they would like to improve their results.
And I also support your integrity in sharing YOUR philosophy. You may not appeal to everyone...
But who cares.
It is more FUN to do business with like minded.
We started a discussion on our Facebook Fan page about Candor and the expression of your belief.
Go to the fan page Best Business Mindset a
Philippe Moisan16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
@Nev I'm blushing now :)
@Rich, you get the idea :)
Travis Winn3
Business and Marketing Coach
I notice my income grows as my comfort level expands. Nice post!
Neville Dinning10
Independent Consultant
Another interesting post by Philippe. I haven't really considered trying to sell back to a spammer. If I feel strongly about the issue I will report it and also remove contact with the person that I believe to be spamming.
Muhammad Wildan2
Hopefully with our lousy cherry, to produce a satisfactory
Denis Kovacevic5
very good information... thanks on shearing! ;)
Philippe Moisan16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
@Agus, you haven't come to the right place for abusing. In case you didn't know, I have a good memory of what I have written. You copied and pasted from my blog to post your comment. Reported.
Agus Pramono6
Freelance
I "showed the plan" a few times. I was never able to approach people about my business opportunity. Well, almost never. I will always remember the last person I approached. It was a colleague at the office. His answer is imprinted in my mind
obedi p.8
Marketing
I love this post you have made learn something today thanks.
Geraldine Mostert7
Affiliate, house/petsitter
The comfort zone is not the place to be especially when you're down and broke. Here I talk of experience.
Joe Griffith8
Profesionsl marketer
Everyone has their opnion and the one that counts is yours
Vps Malhotra16
Free Lancer
GET out of the comfort zone applies to each one of us and ig He can Do so We can do now follow Moisian to the hilt and win I am his fan and follower results would comw Thanks Phillepe for nice motivational thought I was also adisrtibutor in Amway some years back in India but could click the comfort zone intervened well said
Lonnie Niver8
Niver's Art
I know what you are saying. A few days ago I received an invite to chat but the person wasn't looking to chat. He was looking to spam me with his product. It made me mad but I step out of my comfort zone and tried something different. I responded back telling him that spamming the chat was not good for business and then offered to swap links. he said he wasn't interested so , I proceed to explain that you can't go around spamming if you're not willing to take a look at another persons opportuni
Robert (Bob) Timper11
Marketer
Yes, we do need to get out of our comfort zone so we can move forward.
JOSEPH CHACKERY13
Officer
Every person has got rights to express their comments and opinions on business.