In college, I was hired for a job promising twice the pay of my former restaurant gig. Starry-eyed with dollar signs, I didn’t realize until I started training what exactly I’d been hired for: selling kitchen knives door-to-door.

I quit on the first day.

To me, sales evoked sleazy salesmen swindling you into something you can’t afford. Pushy peddlers preying on sensitive souls—easy targets for their manipulative tactics.

Certainly there is a shadow side to sales, but I’ve since learned that sales, like design, is often misunderstood. Just like design is more than making things pretty, sales is more than a greedy hawking of goods. And both are necessary to a successful business.

So how do you sell in a way that’s aligned, not icky?

Embrace the fact that your business exists to help others.

You didn’t start your business just to make a buck—your business contains a higher purpose. It serves others in some way, whether that’s helping them heal or gaining more confidence in their business. Therefore, sharing your offerings is an act of service. (Read that again.)

Affirmation: Sharing my offerings is an act of service.

If you believe in the value of what you’re selling, then there is no reason to be ashamed of promoting it. I didn’t believe in the knives I was meant to sell, so it wouldn’t have been in integrity for me to sell them. But to someone else who believed in their value? Absolutely.

Your business is not for everyone; find the ones you align with and release the rest.

It’s just as true in business as it is in life that “you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” Instead, focusing on who you best serve and want to work with is the key to a happy, successful business.

One way to do this is with your website contact form. Ask plenty of questions so that you can understand who they are and what they’re looking for. For instance, on my project inquiry form, one of the most important questions I ask is, “What kind of designer are you looking for?” If they select “I just need someone to execute my vision—I already know exactly what I want created” then I know that I’m not the best fit because my process is highly collaborative. If they choose “I’m not sure yet” then I’ll know to ask some follow-up questions. Or if they select “An expert who I trust to help me find the best solution for my business” then it’s a green flag for a successful partnership.

Shift your perspective from “how can I make money?” to “how can I best help this person?”

Approaching sales in this way moves the energy from your ego to your heart. And when you know who your people are, you know exactly how to answer that question—or when to recognize if someone isn’t a good fit.

When you sell from a place of alignment, the money will follow. ♡

How do you feel about pitching and promoting your business? 🙂 😍 😰 😐 😵‍💫

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