Deny Your "Nelly," and WIN!
We all have one, and she's always lurking nearby. "Negative Nelly." She pops out at inopportune moments. And she is ALWAYS unprofitable.
About ten days ago, while I was writing my previous article about Negative Nelly's potentially damaging effects, I began receiving messages from a potential buyer. on Fiverr The messages were coming rapidly and repeatedly, and I was answering them promptly...though it was somewhat annoying because I was, after all, in the middle of writing an article! And I couldn't help but wonder whether all of their questions would amount to anything, or they were just "wasting my time."
Two Windows, One Theme
So in one window, I writing to my blog readers about the dangers of giving in to Negative Nelly, while in the other window, I was being prodded about style and delivery times and signing a non-disclosure agreement, and lots of little details concerning the hows, whens, and wherefores of a job. It would have easy to have allowed myself to become curt with them because so much back-and-forth was being required of me. I'm not exactly the "King of Concentration," and all those little distractions were really interrupting my thoughts at a time when I was, after all trying to write an article!
"But," I said to myself, "it'd be the height of hypocrisy to preach positivity in one window, and give in to negativity in the other, at the same time!" So I fought the impulse, despite "Nelly's whisperings...
"This isn't going anywhere."
"This guy is just messing with you."
This is way too much back and forth for what will probably turn out to be a small job."
"Could the timing be any worse? Right when I'm writing this article!"
Ultimately, the article itself saved the day, because it was saying, back into my own ear, the very thing I needed to hear personally at that moment. "Stay positive!" So my messages with the potential client remained positive as well.
The outcome, which happened shortly after I finished writing the article, was that I landed a $1750 order with, what turned out to be, a $ 16 billion dollar company.. Not only was it well-paying, but the person I worked with was very nice, and the voiceover project itself was a fun and interesting one to work on. And because I handled him kindly, and promptly, the odds are good he might come back to me with other work in the future.
Deny Your Nelly!
Everybody has a "Nelly." She's never a friend to us. I have to fight mine too. She's a robber and a thief. She can steal our joy, our ambition, and our business. Keep Nelly at bay, and you'll be way more likely to:
Stay optimistic about your prospects
Believe in your own abilities
Fight forward when there are setbacks
Have faith in human nature and not expect the worst from buyers
Keep your correspondence cordial with clients
Consider yourself to be on the same side as the buyer
Treat people with more compassion and understanding
Not give up when doubts arise
Assume success rather than failure
Find positive outcomes when your client causes problems
Turn "Negative Nelly" buyers into friends who use you regularly
(I could go on and on with this list!)
In our day-to-day lives, when we're actually down there in the trenches and working, it is SO EASY to forget ourselves and give in to Nelly. But I've learned over the years that, when I can deny her, I will literally profit from it. Denying Nelly has helped me to have a really successful run on Fiverr so far. I'd encourage you to do the same.
There's so much you and I can do together to improve your gig's performance. Schedule your Gig Doctor appointment by hitting the Gig Checkup link at the top of this page for an inexpensive personalized checkup and consultation!
For those of you who do voiceovers, or who are interested in entering that fun profession, I can help there too. Check out my voiceover coaching services.