Is Your Marketing Mindset Helping or Hindering You?
Most entrepreneurs, artists and authors have a ridiculous mindset around marketing and selling.
At first, when we start working together, many of my clients say they believe marketing and selling:
• denigrates their work
• is like stalking people like a used car salesman following you around the car lot
• is intrusive
• is annoying
• is sleazy
The real truth is that marketing is just taking your work to a marketplace – whether it’s a table at a bazaar, or an online shop, or website.
All you’re doing is setting it up so people can see that it is available, and ready to serve them.
Selling, if done right, is simply serving your customers
Selling is really just having conversations with people about what they like or don’t like.
Selling is really just having conversations with them about what they want or need.
Selling is simply seeing if your work fits for them.
That’s all it is!
I’m not sure why we have some kind of righteous indignation about selling, or thinking our work is some kind of high-falutin’ superior precious product.
We need to just get over it – let it serve someone!
Think about it!
As an artist, if I didn’t sell or give away my work, I’d be suffocated – I’m highly prolific, so I would have stacks and stacks of paintings and carvings all over my house and filling up some warehouse! What good does that do anyone?
Art serves us. It tells us about ourselves, brightens our days, helps us refocus on something other than ourselves.
It’s just marks on surfaces, or a bunch of shaped forms. A potter friend of mine used to say, “It’s just clay!”
But – at the same time, art is invaluable – it helps us meditate, or move to other mental and spiritual dimensions.
It adds beauty, decorates, tells stories.
Sell that stuff.
What is your work?
Marks on paper? Ones and zeroes on a digital device? A service?
Think about what those little marks do! They help people!
With what you create, you help people invest, insure themselves, buy a house, open a bank account, track their money or payments, pay taxes, buy things, support your family . . .
Your service helps people know things they need to know to be successful in life. You help them feel better and improve themselves and their lives.
According to what value you create for people, you make little marks and offer services that are tremendously important!
Sell that stuff!
Or give it away, so people can enjoy it.
But do market it – let people know you have something of value to offer!
What does your product or service do for people?
Fill in the blank!”My work ______________________________________________________ .”
How does it serve them?
Fill in the blank!”My work ______________________________________________________ .”
What results or benefits do they get by using or having what you’ve done for them?
Fill in the blank!”They get ______________________________________________________ .”