Much like wrapping ourselves in our favorite sweatshirt or sweater, most mystery shoppers take assignments that are comfortable and familiar.
It’s safe, it’s cozy and we know how it fits.
Stopping in at the local convenience store, conducting a telephone shop or making a small purchase at a chain retailer is a great way to start out mystery shopping. The shops are usually easy, quick and are environments in which you are relaxed.
If you want to make more money, however, you need to step out of that comfort zone and apply for mystery shops that help you and your business grow.
5 Benefits of Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
In an article published in Psychology Today, Abigal Brenner, MD, board certified psychiatrist and author of Transitions: How Women Embrace Change and Celebrate Life, tells us 5 benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone:
- Your “real life” is out there waiting for you. Your real life exists beyond the bubble of your own personal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Your real life is the sum total of ALL of your experiences, not just the one’s you’re comfortable with.
- Challenging yourself pushes you to dip into and utilize your personal store of untapped knowledge and resources. You have no idea what you’re made of unless and until you venture outside of your own familiar world.
- Taking risks, regardless of their outcome, are growth experiences. Even if you make mistakes or don’t get it right the first time there’s always these experiences you’ve had to tap into for the future. There really is no such thing as “fail” if you got something out of the experience. And just so you know, “FAIL” re-framed means “first attempt in learning”.
- Don’t settle for the mediocre just to avoid stepping out of your comfort zone; it’s too big a price to pay. Your challenges and risk experiences are cumulative. Every time you try something new, allow yourself to be open to whatever experience arises, you are learning, and expanding your repertoire of life skills and self-knowledge. As you do this you are also expanding the size of your comfort zone.
- Leaving your comfort zone ultimately helps you to deal with change—and making change in a much better way. Life transitions are all about change. Each time you transition you move to another level. Inevitably, these life transitions transform you.
Now, you may say this is a little heavy when applied to your mystery shopping business, but is it?
If you want to make mystery shopping a viable stream of income, it must become part of your lifestyle, not just something you ‘fit in’ when convenient.
Stepping into the Growth & Profit Zone of Mystery Shopping
Your Real-Life Experiences. Opening yourself up to training for different types of shopping, like video shopping, allows you to challenge yourself. You also learn valuable, new skills. With additional certifications, you have more opportunity for great assignments.
Taking Risks. No one gets mystery shops right every single time. However, with repeated experiences you will learn what to look for, how to keep notes and learn names. Take feedback from the reviewer seriously and make the appropriate changes to help you grow.
Challenge Yourself. You may prefer shops where there is little interaction with people. Step it up occasionally with an assignment where you really need to ask questions, get involved and tell a little about yourself. It’s a ‘safe place’ to practice what you would like to do in social situations.
Don’t Settle. You get out what you put in. Search the boards and social media groups. Get involved in discussions. Learn from others. Find the jobs that will make you grow and learn! (but don’t think that spending hours on line will earn you money! Read, take and then go out and shop!)
Stay Open to Transition. Life is always changing. Allow what you learn from mystery shopping to help you to be a better customer, mother, father, friend, co-worker and parent. Mystery shopping can help you to grow in ways you never dreamed possible!
Which assignments have helped you to step out of your comfort zone? Share with us below!
If you liked this article and want more information to help you become a better mystery shopper join the Market Viewpoint community by clicking here.
Click here if you want to join Market Viewpoint’s team of mystery shoppers.
Do you know someone who would be a good mystery shopper? Please forward this post to them! Thanks!