How to tame the Tech Fear! Or….Dammit Boss…I’m a writer, not a computer tech!

As a writer, I have a certain happy contempt for all things tech. I enjoy words on a page, the smell of a new book just being cracked, or the sound of a familiar book falling open to the exact right page.  I can leaf through a book to quickly find what I need, just by what comes before and after those particular pages.

Computers…not so much. It took years and a trip to the Dominican Republic to come to grips with a Kindle, as I carried more weight in books than I did in clothes. (But really how much do bathing suits weigh after all?) Still, I have a mild dislike of computers, and I’m pretty sure it is returned. Computers feel my fear, and use that to intimidate me. I’m perfectly ok with that.

While I write about business foundations like reputation marketing, GMB, and social media platforms – please understand that’s not my forte.  So if you feel overwhelmed at the amount of information coming at you, and you’d rather just forget it all, bury your head in the sand and go back to work at what you are good at, I get that. I feel ya!

But we all have to start somewhere. I’ve found that if I just take it in little chunks at a time, I get through it. It doesn’t always have to be everything at once. “A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step” after all. 

What I do to take that first step is find something that is least intimidating to do. Or maybe sort of even fun. If social media gives you the least amount of displeasure, start with that. Update your business profile, change your banner to reflect the season, post a couple things, ideas, or jokes.

If sending out an email is more your pace, start there. Just saying hello to customers and maybe giving them an update on business hours or COVID protocols, or sending a holiday greeting goes a long way.

Say thank you to people who post a review, or answer any comments. 

If none of that is in your comfort zone yet, but you have a passion for organization, (I really do! I colour-code files when I can, it’s just prettier that way); then start with a  CRM – a customer relations management tool. A good CRM keeps all your clients neatly organized and files neatly manageable. 

Perhaps you have ideas or thoughts that you want to communicate. Start a blog page on your website. Write a blog. Share your thoughts and ideas. Or maybe you have a checklist for customers to use. Any and all of these are a good place to start.

Just start somewhere. As we chunk down a job into workable bites, we can see the finished product, as well as the steps to get there. And for those of us daunted by computers and technology, it really helps to have a workable plan.  

An interesting side effect of starting with something you almost like, (or hate the least), is that as you learn, those lessons help with the next steps. The learning curve becomes less and less, as you build your knowledge base.  

Think of it this way: a few years ago, I decided I was going to run a 10K. Not for speed or competing, just to see if I could. I did learn that day a few things:

1. I’m not built for running

2. I couldn’t run 10K at that point in my life

3. I should break it down to a doable goal

When I found a running plan and broke it down, I found that it only took a few weeks of training to be ready. Didn’t break any speed records, but I was darn proud of finishing!

That was a lesson I’ve used often in other areas of life. When faced with an overwhelming task, I break it down. Getting comfortable with different programs and software on the computer is one area where this approach works really well.

So take it one step at a time. 

• Do one thing at a time.

• Get comfortable.

• Then add to it.

• One foot in front of the other. 

If you do this consistently, it’s amazing how it adds up. Over time, you may be pleasantly surprised how much you’ve accomplished, and how little fear factor there is in wrestling with the slightly less intimidating computer.