To Make a Profit, Get Loose!

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To Make a Profit, Get Loose!

by Harmony Major

Remember the old quip, "it's easier to tell the truth, as you won't have to remember which lies you told to whom"? Okay well, something like that. The point is, a facade is the ultimate lie and it's hurting YOU most of all.

I used to listen to the "experts" claiming that every online entrepreneur needs to be professional. That's true of course, but what I SHOULDN'T have necessarily listened to were the *exact* characteristics of professionalism that these experts defined.

I was lost.

I'd be coldly "professional" one day, and staunchly opinionated the next. And who could blame me? I was still finding my voice. I didn't realize that what's thought to be "professional" is sometimes a matter of opinion.

For instance, we've all been told not to use exclamation points in our online writing, we've been admonished for using "smilies", and we've been condemned for addressing colleagues by their first names. But in the end, it's up to *you* to distinguish between a general rule and public opinion -- without forgetting what's true to YOU.

I used to write in an overly formal, coldly "professional" tone, I only used smilies with people who used them with me first, and I followed a lot of the other plain vanilla rules that the "experts" doled out. But that wasn't ME; that was only what other people thought I should be.

Now I understand that it's alright to contradict opinion -- even in business. Especially in business. Exclamation points are sometimes necessary to drive a point home, or to lend excitement to my writing. Smilies are sometimes necessary so my message isn't interpreted as rude or confrontational. Readers don't have body language or tone of voice to judge my message by, so my smilies ARE my body language.

But does this make me any less of a professional? Does it mean that I don't treat all of my deserving customers with the utmost care and respect? Do ANY of those things mean that I don't know what I'm doing? I think not. Anyone who dares to think it has been sorely misinformed.

Whoops! A woman with an opinion, and a strong one. Watch out now!

That's right. I'm an attractive, young, black woman who KNOWS she's got it going on in both her career and life, and who's not afraid to express her opinion -- all of which may be considered "taboo" by the twisted, haughty society we live in. So be it.

Why would I portray myself as anything less? To do so would be to do a grave injustice to my character, and would be a serious insult to my intelligence. Don't YOU do that to yourself. Be who you are.

There are millions of people online, a good percentage of which will be your target market, and more are getting wired every day. Don't mute your personality and sacrifice yourself to win the approval of a few "prospects" or potential business partners. It's just not worth it.

For every dozen people who don't care for the real you, there are hundreds of others who will LOVE what you say, AND how you say it. Why compromise your happiness and genuineness? So start today, while this chat still has you in its motivating grasp. Get out there and BE WHO YOU ARE. I've found my voice and I'm going, full steam ahead.

Are YOU loose? If not, you should be.

© 2001 Harmony Major

About the Author

Need to get more customers to your website FAST? Harmony Major is the author of Yahoo! Secrets, where she reveals how you can draw in HUNDREDS of new visitors (read: potential customers) to your website daily. For just a few days of work, enjoy a LIFETIME of traffic! Go to: http://YahooSecrets.com/cgi-bin/ls/c.cgi/me_223GL

Tags: E-commerce and Internet