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Many small business owners are fearful of sales or selling for their business for a good reason. If your only experience with sales is door-to-door salespeople, the 6:00 p.m. mid-dinner telemarketers, or the occasional movie or TV show portraying sales as a game of persuasion and manipulation, it’s understandable why you would fear sales.

If you have never been properly trained in sales and the sales process, then all you have to rely on are the myths and misconceptions many have about selling. Like anything, until you jump in and give it a try, you will never really know the truth about sales.

While we all wish sales were great every month, the sad reality is that just like in the world of big business, not all months are created equal. Businesses naturally ebb and flow, but when business is down far more than expected, it can cause problems.

In big businesses, the solution is usually to whip the marketing and sales departments into action to look for some short-term revenue. If that does not work, then there is always the lay-off option to help balance the books. While these options are painful and hard on employees, they can help a larger business.

In the United States, approximately 29 million businesses exist, and nearly 21 million of them have no employees. With that in mind, who is selling for these companies?

The dilemma: Should the owner of a micro or small business with no employees sell for the business or run the business?

The following story outlines this dilemma, the impact it can have, and what to do about it.