Myth: If your work is good enough, then you don't need to sell.
I'm not exactly sure how or why this idea became so widespread. Probably because it's so logically simple, and it idealistically (and fallaciously) presumes the market as a completely rational, meritocratic space. Probably because the creative community is mostly comprised of introverts who would rather spend their energy on the act of creating and this idea helps them rest assured that, someday, they'll get "discovered" by a charitable client who "knows real talent when they see it" and it's just a matter of time before they get their lucky break. A common trait I have noticed among those who hold onto this belief though, is a deep-seated aversion to (the idea of) sales. It's probably why our team has taken a ton of care to redesign and update our ID website, only to have its only trace of existence as an easily missable link in one or two of our email signatures.
For some, selling feels dishonest and icky. For some, it feels antithetical to the spirit of creative self-expression. I totally get that. To be honest, I held onto this belief for a really long time before finally learning that selling isn't always--and shouldn't be--an icky-feeling, self-serving, dishonest thing. (And of course, there are some who see it as a natural part of business, or even thrive off the adrenaline rush of closing a sales pitch. I give them props, but we're not talking about them.)
We've all been "sold to" a little too aggressively at some point. Sometimes it feels doubly insulting as not only do I have no use for snake oil, but the salesperson must believe I'm dumb enough to fall for it to begin with! I think especially for creatives, there's a fear of "being that guy".
I'm extremely grateful that my first formal exposure to the world of sales and marketing (nine years ago) was through inbound marketing, so I never really got to struggle firsthand through cold calling or pushing ads with the hope of a miniscule conversion rate. Coupled with the fact that I'm somewhat introverted, inbound marketing ended up seeming like the most obvious high-yield approach to selling: rather than trying to convince someone they need something they've never thought of before, focus on building trust with your most relevant audience, and organically lead a potential customer to determine for themselves that you have the value-added they need (which over time builds Patagonia-like brand loyalty).
Though inbound marketing tactics today are becoming a bit outdated in favor of influencer or affiliate marketing, a lot of its principles are still relevant even if the word “inbound” has been mostly dropped from the marketing vernacular. One of my favorite industry figures in the digital marketing & design space, Chris Do, gave a talk last month titled “Selling Without Being Salesy: The Kind Way to Sell”, and though it's not among his most groundbreaking presentations, he sums up many of these principles pretty effectively.
IN THE MODERN DAY, SELLING IS AN ACT OF SERVICE
Client-centric sales start with empathy, understanding, and genuine connection. This means prioritize the client's needs and perspectives over your own (need for, say, validation). Selling isn't about the transaction, but about the process of building a shared understanding around a client's problems, and in turn building a relationship to co-create a solution to those problems. As a seller, your role is less about convincing and more about being a consultant or advisor, deeply attuned to the client's needs and challenges. Chris identifies some key behaviors underlying this paradigm:
Start with good will. If a prospective client slides into your DMs, you've effectively already pre-qualified as a potential seller, so you don't need to actively sell. Everything you say or do from this point onward either builds or diminishes that trust. Don't squander it by telling them what they likely already know.
Align or decline. It's not about showing that you're the best at what you do; it's about showing you're the best fit for them. Alignment is achieved when you offer them further clarity around the barrier preventing them from advancing from the current state to a desired future state, and so that they can ultimately make the best decision for themselves. Your services might objectively align with their needs. It might not. Not all prospects need to be a client.
Ask more, advise less.Although I like to believe I'm improving at asking smarter questions over time, I'm sometimes guilty of giving unsolicited advice. Alternatively: listen more, talk less. The bottom line is to achieve empathetic engagement & active listening. When you spend more time asking insightful questions, you gain deeper understanding of your client's needs—their situations, challenges, and aspirations. Showing a genuine interest in empathetic engagement fosters trust and builds a foundation for long-term relationships.
I think due to a historical, core offering of WBTs, training videos, and PDF flyers, we've gotten into the habit of looking for ways to sell one of these formats as the solution for the vast majority of training needs that come our way. You'd like a new curriculum? You'll want our WBT! You'd like to train a new skill? Sounds like a job for SnagIt! You'd like to spread awareness? We've got flyer templates for that!
The tendency to propose solutions in search of a problem is understandable given our general interest in scaling our processes, and individual consultation seems to do the opposite. It's no secret that we are rather template-happy with our development processes, and I think going into the New Year, we'd benefit in the long run from thinking about how to match a desire for scale & efficiency with a similar level of sensitivity to individual client needs.