The woman who wrote to me the following is full of wisdom, up until the
point where she talks herself out of what she already knows:

"I am a widow, entrepreneur, retired Occupational Therapist, musician,
piano teacher and  mother of 3 grown, married daughters.  I had begun to
work in my former area of training, Occupational Therapy prior to my
husband's death.  In time, I started to look around and think about another business that did not require quite the fast pace and demanded less mobility. In  the course of life, I had become disabled and I needed to rev up the intellectual side and reduce physical demands.

"I began teaching piano when still well, and as life progressed could not
sustain the demands of 28 students.  If one wants to make it in the piano
teaching business, you need a steady 60 students per week.  I then signed
up for an Amway distributorship.  I had been an Amway distributor when my children were very small and it bought me my first piano.  As the family increased and the demands grew on my time, I opted to be a stay-at-home Mom.

"Since I knew the Amway business, but not the new developments, I attended an opportunity night and signed up.  I am excited about the new business and think it can be worked while I pick up more piano students to come to my home.  I have learned some valuable lessons in running businesses over the years.  I know that it is constant work, needs hands on cooperation with others and constant cold calls and follow ups.  Overcoming the initiation of the cold call is the hardest part for me.  I do not mind addressing a room of people, or speaking with strangers.  On the contrary, I think it is harder to talk to family members about business things."

Tell me something, where did you learn that the cold call will be your
secret to success, or that you should start selling to your "warm" market
first - those people who already know you and love you?  Let me tell you
the story of a client who hired me to coach him because he was stuck in his business.  He had heard that I had just released my new book, "Starting from No!  Ten Strategies to Overcome Your Fear of Rejection and Succeed in Business." I spent an hour talking with him on the phone, and it was easy to see what his problem was.   He was terrified to pitch himself to those most dear to him, his family and closest friends.  The thought of their rejection paralyzed him from making any movement in his business.  He made up plans and resolutions every week, procrastinated, went to sales training meetings, tried to get himself hyped up, nerved up, free of fear, and still, he was going nowhere but south, feeling worse about himself by the day.

I told him something very simple.  If it scares the heck out of you to make
cold calls and to pitch to your family, don't do it!   He breathed an
audible sigh of relief. I gave him permission to do what he was going to do
anyway.  Not everyone is cut out for cold calls.  Not everyone should try
to sell their products to a warm market.  "Fear of rejection" is not as
global as it sounds.  In fact, we are each afraid of certain kinds of
rejection.  Very few of us will find the courage to leap over huge
obstacles of immobilizing fear.  Forget about all that "rah rah" talk that
tries to convince you that you can accomplish anything, if you just put
your mind to it.  Sure, that's true in theory.  But in practice, you will
be much more successful if you find what you are really good at, and you
don't tackle your worst nightmare at the start of your business.

Remember that client I was just telling you about?  He fired me after one
month and only two coaching sessions.  I was delighted.  He terminated my services because he didn't need me anymore.  After our first session, he went into high gear, going after the market most comfortable for him, and forgetting, for the time being, the prospects he thought he was supposed to be going after.  Magic - his fear of rejection subsided, he met with success, and success breeds confidence.  He was rocking and rolling in just one month's time. He only needed permission to do what he was already doing - avoiding that which terrified him.

So, dear lady, treat yourself with kindness and don't worry about
initiating cold calls quite yet.  Start right where you are, with what
comes naturally, and success will surely follow.  I played piano for twelve
years as a child, and I taught piano lessons as well.  If you are teaching
28 children a week, while disabled even,  you have plenty of courage!  Do you teach all of your children the same way, or demand from them an
identical performance?  Of course not - you understand that each of your
students has strengths and weaknesses.  Some can play beautifully by ear,
but their sightreading is abysmal.  Others can make Chopin sing, but
they'll destroy a Mozart.  You help your students capitalize on their
strengths and fortify their weaknesses. You make sure they choose music to learn that they enjoy.  Above all, you make sure that they feel good about themselves, and always encouraged.  And so it is, as well, in business.  What makes you a successful piano teacher will also lead the way for you in Amway.  Good luck!