Typically that's because new business owners either are afraid of asking for the sale or potential customers are afraid of being the very first to buy.

How can they conquer these issues? Here are some tips:

• Overcoming the fear of making a sale: Let's face it; it's not easy to ask someone to give you his or her money. But if you're in business, you're going to have to do this over and over again.

Getting up the gumption to ask someone to pay you is tough. But here's something you must always remember: you are offering customers something of value. If it's of value to them, it's appropriate for them to pay you.

You have to recognize -- and believe -- that you are as entitled as anyone else in the business world to be paid for your work, your assistance, your time.

You can take classes or read books on how to become a better salesperson. You can eventually hire someone to make most of the sales for your business. But you still need to be able to make sales yourself, and there's no way to conquer the fear of making sales except by making sales.

Try out your sales pitch on friends and relatives. Work on what you're going to say, how much you're going to charge.

• Overcoming the "I don't want to be first" mentality: Customers follow where others lead. If there are two restaurants
  on the same street, one crowded and the other completely empty, most customers will wait for the popular restaurant.

Companies, as well as consumers, do the same thing. You've got to have a track record for prospective clients to feel comfortable.

What a dilemma: You have to have customers to get customers.

Some effective strategies to do just that include giving your product or service away for a limited time or offering deep discounts to hook customers.

If you can't do giveaways, don't be afraid to try drastic, but limited-time-only, introductory price cuts. If, for instance, you're opening a hair salon and you'll normally charge $50 for a hair cut, run an "Opening Special" of just $10 for the first week or two. This encourages people to give you a try and helps you build a clientele.

• A final note: Sales takes persistence. Yes, you are likely to get many rejections. That's part of the reality of business life.

Rhonda Abrams is the president of The Planning Shop, publisher of books for entrepreneurs. Their newest is "Finding an Angel Investor In A Day." Register for her free business tips newsletter at www.PlanningShop.com.