Started Online Business But Can't Even Get My Own Family And Friends To Try It Out
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Posted By: Vinicent Holland on May 18, 2009 What Gives? I know people have said for years that in some social communities you better not go into business with family or close friend because they won't do right. Yea, yea, yea, I've heard it all before but this is 2009 right? I mean, come on, we as a people have got to know better by now. We see other social groups making it work so why shouldn't I be able to expect that my own people, my own family and friends will be there to help? Okay, maybe I'm being a bit altruistic. Maybe some people just ain't gonna get it. I'd hope that we would but evidence so far is pretty unsettling. Now, in all fairness, I have to admit that maybe, just maybe the items that I am selling and making available aren't items that my family and friends need or want. So, I'm going to do a real hard gut check here and see what I'm selling that they don't want no parts of. I did say, no parts of because to date, I can't get not one family member or friend to go on my site and do any type of shopping. Two Christmas's have come and gone. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, proms and holidays have come and gone and not one, not one single family lmember or friend has gone online to shop with me. Oh, they go online alright but they shop on sites that compete with me. Takes me back to one of my earlier blogs when I pondered if family and friends were a help or a hindrance. So, what is it that makes them not want to do business with me? My prices are the same as the other sites because we sell the same items from the same companies. I'm an affiliate with some of the leading companies on the internet. Before I list some of the products I sell, let me give an example of something that happened and then YOU tell me if I'm out of line. I sell computers on my website. Brand name, new out of the box computers and laptops. I have the best internet pricing you can get on them. I also have a wide selection and on occassion I receive, because other people are buying from me, discounts coupons I can offer to customers based on my volume at that time. So, anyway, I told all my family and friends about it and come to find out that a couple of them were in the market to get a new computer. Well, that's right down my alley, I think to myself. Let me see what they might be interested in. So I mention to them that I have these brands and that if they are looking why not checkout my site and when they see the one they want let me know and I will see what I can do on the coupon side of things. As time goes on they proceed to ask me all kinds of questions about the computers and how they work with this software and that program, which would be best for this application, how do I setup the home router so I can share a connection, what about printer, which one and how do I network it, etc, etc, etc. Well, me, being a good friend and family member, proceed to answer all of their questions and give them tips and suggestions that I could be charging $$$ per hour for but I'm being the good salesman and thinking that if I give them answers they will buy the computer from me. I guess you see where this is going don't you? Yep, they didn't buy from me. No, not even after I gave them at least several hundred dollars worth of free information on how to select the best system, how to setup the system and how to network the system. I even gave them warranty advice. I should have kept my dadgum mouth shut. Would you believe they chose to go into a local store and buy the computer, paid more for it than if they had bought it from me and then had the thought to call me to ask me how to set it up. Oh, wouldn't you know that something would go wrong with the computer when they got it home? Yea, it didn't boot right up like they thought it would and who did they call? ME! Okay, now some of you are saying "I hope that fool didn't telll them how to set those computers up". Well, "that fool", being me, a good friend and family member did tell them enough to get it working but I didn't expound on anything, just enough to get the doggone computer working. I told them to call the help desk after that. Well, as luck would have it, they wanted to buy additional items and services for their computers and a few weeks later, they called me, not at the same time but around the same time, and asked me what to do. At this point I was miffed because they could have bought the computers from me and I would have helped them set it up from A to Z but no, they wanted to buy from the store. So I told them that since they bought it from the store, I couldn't really tell how it was spec'd out so they would have to get in touch with the store. Okay, I know, I told a little lie. But hey, what would YOU have done? After all I had done for them the least they could have done was to buy the computers from me. I understand being able to see it up close in the store. I got that. Go look, feel it, open it rub on it then come home and order it from your family member and friend. Now that you have a few problems, what is the store doing for you? Nothing, they want them to bring it in so they can see if it's covered under warranty and what is wrong with it. That's why they are calling me. They don't want to spend any money to get it fixed. Well, they gonna have to spend money or find somebody else to tell them how to fix it. I'm in business too and my paying, buying from me customers deserve my attention. Do I sound pissed? Like a sore loser? Like a crybaby? If you think so, you can go stand in the corner with them. Ha ha ha. Seriously, go get in a corner somewhere. I think I have every right to be pissed. I talked to them before they bought. I talked to them while they were thinking about it. I basically educated them on the computers they were thinking about. I sell the EXACT same computers they bought. I had a better price even with shipping charges. Yet, here I am living proof that family and friends are more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to you being in business and thinking they will do business with you. Now, to the rest of the family and friends just to show you how they can't be counted on to help support you in business. I sell brandname shoes, sneakers, computers, televisions, jewelry, clothing, books, housewares, auto accessories, greeting cards, health and fitness items, nutrition items, video games, toys, bikes, fishing supplies, music, videos just about everything from "A to Z" that can help make your life a healthier, happier and less pain full lifestyle daily. BRAND NAME. That's right. Sears, Walmart, Kmart, Home Medics, Healio HealthCare, Cute Kids, Zappos, ShoeBuy, EBags, Amazon, Buy.Com, OnSale, House, North Face, WearGuard and more. Dell, HP, IPod, Sony, Nintendo, Compaq, Canon, Nikoto, Cartwright, Quaker State, Exxon, Mobil and more....Kitchen Aide, GE, Maytag, Whirlpool and more.....If it's online, I more than likely sell it. So what stops family and friends from shopping with me? I get it if they aren't an online person but it's so many of them that are online people. They are always talking about how they went online to AMazon and ordered this or that or how they went on Sears.Com and got this. They want to show me the shoes they ordered online to go with the new suit they ordered online and look at me funny when I say, "I really don't want to see it right now, maybe next time I see you or not". So, I clearly have a case where my family and friends aren't much help to me and my business. It's bad enough they wont' shop with me but they don't help promote my business either. I can't even get them to pass out a business card. Pretty sad state of affairs but they really sad thing is that I ain't the only one this is happening to. If it was just me, I'd say okay, I just got some really sorry family members and friends and need to start looking to get adopted and change my favorite 5 in my phone but it's not just happening to me. Really. Don't believe me? Go into some of the business forums online and ask around. You will be surprised at the responses you get. Sad, sad, sad. Now if I was selling some shade tree made products at some whacked out prices I could understand the avoidance but I'm not. I sell brandname products at nationally advertised prices backed by the same warranties as every other product they sell and with the same quality of shipping that every other site has. So why do family and friends not shop with me? I will tell you why and I really hate to think this but I do. Family and friends don't want to shop with me and you if you're having the same issue, because they don't want to help you make any money. See, they are jealous. They think if you make money you're going to make more then them and that you're going to be able to live a better life than them so they don't want to help you make a living. They expect other people to spend their money with you but they won't. No, they want all you can give them for free but they will not shop with you because you will be getting some of their money and they don't think you work hard enough to deserve their money. They would rather buy from a complete stranger and make them wealthy then to buy from you and keep you out of the unemployment line. Ain't that sad? Anybody out there disagree? If so, why do YOU think they don't shop with me or the other folks whose family and friends don't shop with them? I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say. Til then, I'm signing off and looking for a new family and a new set of friends. And don't call me when you computers burn up because you should have bought them from me in the first place. I'm not wishing you any ill bit I'm sure not gonna help you figure out any problems with your merchandise. Call the store you bought it at. Wait, oh yeah, they went out of business so you don't have a warranty or a help desk to go to. Oh, that just breaks my little bitty heart. It really does. CAn't you see how sad I am about that? NOT! Bye V.Holland aka CHRONIC PAIN HERO Sciatica Issues: http://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/LTBP... Fibromyalgia: https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/Fib... Back Pains: https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/LBP... Lifestyle Improvements: https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/ABS... Pregnancy & Back Pain: https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/LTB... Morning Stiffness: https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/mor... Nutrition: https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/LTB... Free Information: https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/LTB... https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/ABS... https://gethealthy.infusionsoft.com/go/LFZ... http://PainCornerStore.com http://painstopper.OurToolbar.com VinHol Global Enterprises LLC If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Vinicent Holland
Pastor, Vinicent Holland Mississippi Valley State University class of 1981 Member Since October 2006 |
Comments
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I feel you - with every fiber. As for 'should you be pissed?' H*ll yeah. If you were a Mexican, Jew or White, all your family would have bought only from you! Myth Monday, September 21st 2009 at 9:53AM |
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