Post by Carol Buchanan
Part 4: Selling Our Products
One of the most difficult activities of being a one-person business – a solopreneur, in other words – is to sell the product(s) we bring to the market.
For some reason, many artists and craftsmen – and writers – have a prejudice against selling our work. I see this attitude in the shows all the time.
People who work hard all through the year to create something beautiful to be worn, or to have in their homes, or to hang on their walls – these same people hang back at the rear of their booths, eyes down, refusing to interact with potential customers.
It’s as if they’re saying, “You don’t really want to buy my woodwork, or painting, or earrings, do you?”
And sadly, the people who pass by the booths without anyone wishing them a “Merry Christmas” at the Christmas show, or asking, “Are you having fun?” at the Summer show may well go home empty-handed.
Their hopes of finding the perfect gift for a loved one will have been disappointed because the vendor was not interested in selling their own product.
I know that feeling well. Decades ago, when I was a fledgling health insurance agent, I was accused of that very attitude: “You don’t really want to buy insurance, do you?”
And then a friend with a very low-key sales approach had a customer who asked to think the policy over. My friend agreed. That’s dangerous in the sales business. The person who thinks it over before buying often does not buy. But this customer called my friend in a week or so and bought the policy. A few months later, that policy paid off big time when the customer had open heart surgery.
Selling my books isn’t as dramatic as that. Nor is selling a beautiful wood box.
But by being proud of what we have made, we should show people that their money will be well spent, because we don’t apologize for what we’ve written, or painted, or built, or – yes, what we’ve created.
We stand behind what we’ve made, because we’re proud of our work.
Unfortunately, many of us act as if we’re selling junk.
Henry Ford invented the Model T automobile and the moving assembly line in 1913, that made it possible to build the cars at a lower cost than his competitors at the time. As a result, ordinary people could buy the cars, all of which had his name on them, and on the company that made them.
Henry Ford did not sell himself. He sold his product.
When we go into our booths at the ACF shows, we’re selling our products. Things we made. Things we believe are good. Things that represent the best we can do.
Our jams taste yummy.
Our earrings will catch the light and make a woman feel pretty to wear them.
Our books will carry our readers to worlds they could never visit otherwise, and give them the pleasure of learning and experiencing another world.
At the next show, let’s act as if we’re proud of what we’ve produced, and our products are well worth other people’s time and money.
Because we would not do this if we didn’t believe they would benefit from them by having a fun, delightful, intriguing, delicious, experience.