Gordon, let me chime in here since I don't do it often.

There's selling and there's work. Two different animals in my opinion. Yes, selling is and can be work but they're not always the same. With selling comes rejection, which *can* go to the core of a person's self-worth and confidence. Sure, it's easy to say they're not rejecting you, but that's not how most would view it.

We all know people who are born sales people. They can sell and not think anything of it. My BIL is like that. He has no qualms about going into a business, introducing himself, and trying to get an appointment.

I had another friend in a singing group who was confident he could get us a National Anthem gig for an Major League baseball team (even though He knew no one in the front office). That would terrify me. Singing in front of that audience wouldn't terrify me; making the calls and contacts to get the gig would.

For me, I look at it and say, where do I begin? I am fairly good at small talk and can joke with anybody at any time (and pretty good with Customer Service people on the phone), but as soon as the talk turns to anything I might want out of the person (such as a name of a person or sales), the alarms go up. I'm certain that can be learned and be as natural as joking with people. I'm not there yet.

So, I can interact with people on the phone and in person, but when it's sales oriented, there's something about it that just doesn't work for me. I'm sure it's a mental / psychological thingy/block going on.

So, while I'm sure I've persuaded people I know on ideas I've had or software I've used that could help them, approaching total strangers and convincing them is a whole different ball of wax.

You say "pretty easy sales pitch." Sure, for someone who's sold all his life, it may very well be very easy, but for us nonsales folks, maybe not.

Having said that, I am about ready to apply some of the methods in the Headlights Cleaning Manual to fly low and collect the dough. Because of current circumstances, I may NEED to do that soon. I've been wanting to do it for a while now but have been procrastinating. Even approaching used car dealers and letting them know what I'm about is, as you would say, "pretty easy sales pitch." They either want it or they don't. I get that but there's still a block.

Thanks for keeping up the forum, Gordon.