Posted by
Petra Geiger. Owner & Founder Beehive Co-op
I recently had a very interesting conversation with a magazine reporter who was writing a story about "selling". She was researching the term "sales" and trying to figure out why it had such a bad connotation and left such a feeling of distaste with fledgling entrepreneurs. She was asking my perspective and wondering what I had encountered at Beehive.
I definitely think she had a point, there were very few designers that I came across that were natural sellers. Maybe 2 in 10. Generally, I think these were people that were very good conversationalists, were confident in their work and in their expertise, and had prior experience selling. But for the majority of designers (myself included) it was an onerous task. Whether it be the fear of rejection, the desire to not seem too pushy or fake, or just plain not knowing what to say, most people did not enjoy stepping into this arena.
Part of my vision for Beehive is to give entrepreneurs a safe environment in which to learn some of these fundamental skills. Before I started Beehive I had no experience selling, did not enjoy it, and generally felt that customers should be left alone. Well, my attitude changed quickly once I opened the shop. I realized that not only was selling utterly essential but that it need not leave a nasty taste in your mouth. It actually could be quite pleasant, you could even say rewarding, and you could be a good seller and also stay true to your personality.
I guess to make a long story short I would really encourage entrepreneurs to find your selling voice. Alot of the basics can be learned from watching how others sell, it is after all a learned behavior and something most of us are not formally taught. Practice also helps. But I think developing a confidence about what you are designing, making, and selling and internalizing it's value is so important and something that is very hard for alot of designers to do.
Be yourself, share your experiences, listen to the customer, and don't let the fear of not making a sale stop you from doing the very thing that can take your business to new heights.
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