This is a guest post by Andrea Altenburg. Andrea has been a technical writer since 2003. She works full time writing online and print help manuals for a software company. She is in the processing of working less corporate and more freelance. Photo courtesy of zhouxuan12345678.

Many women prefer to avoid risk. We are nurturers who want to protect our friends and family along with ourselves. Rejection can hurt out self esteem, so when marketing our business, we choose at times to not approach someone because we think they will turn us down. When we are turned down, we assume they’re rejecting us, instead of just a product or service.

Step One: Review Your Skill Set

On days you feel insecure about your abilities, take the time to review your portfolio and previous projects. See what specific skills you have that sets you apart from everyone else. Take a moment to value your own service you provide to the industry. Realize that the service you offer is worth the money clients pay you for that service.

Ali Drozdowicz owns of a photography business that she runs out of her home. Growing up in a family of photographers, she assumed photography was a skill everyone had and there would be no reason to pay someone for it.

“I didn’t value my skill, even though I valued the product of it,” she says. “In order to value the skill as a service, I had to see that most people do not have free access to the product.”

Ali’s confidence in marketing increased when she realized she has a natural talent for creating a photo that communicates the beauty and character of her subject and creates memories to last. Ali says that she had a difficult time getting past the idea that clients actually wanted to use her services instead doing her a favor by paying for her photography sessions.

Step Two: Cut Out The Noise

We are always looking at the magazines and movies and comparing our bodies to others. Our own self image can get in the way of our goals. Take a strong look in the mirror and find a feature you like about yourself. Find a couple business outfits that you feel important and confident about yourself and wear them when you will be networking.

Every woman has insecurities, but the idea is to ignore them and focus on the features you feel secure in showing off. Clients can tell when you’re not comfortable with your appearance.

Step Three: Set Goals

When we have insecurities,our first instinct can be to hide. But the only way to achieve a goal is to work at it. No matter how insecure you feel, remind yourself that you have a unique skill that is important to others.

To keep from procrastinating at marketing your business, set short term goals. Write out your goals and ask a friend to hold you accountable for those goals. Start as simple as approaching three new people or work until you sign up one new client.

We as women have to get past our self image. We need to stop listening to others who put us down or tell us we do not have the money, skill, or talent to achieve running a business. These ideas are put on us by others and are only true if we listen to them. Listen to your writing samples, testimonials of friends as well as clients. Keep your head up as you market yourself, and you’ll find that it becomes easier over time.