How to Make Money Not Selling
I never sell anyone anything. It’s how I make a living. No kidding. The number one complaint I hear from folks who are about to enter the online marketing arena is that they don’t like “selling” people. Neither do I, and here’s how I’ve grown a successful business with that attitude.
I’ve seen so many enthusiastic folks pour their heart and incredible amounts of time into creating a product or service they believe will benefit others. When it comes time to get the word out about their offering, they usually channel all of that excitement into finding just the right website design. Eventually, the reality sets in that they have to create compelling content for that site, and that’s when they begin seeking resources to teach them about marketing.
When most folks hear the word marketing,
they react the same way as when they hear the words algebra, or dentist.
Those are the folks who don’t understand what marketing is. Simply put, marketing is sharing your passion. When you excitedly tell your best friend about a new chocolate shop that just opened down the street, that’s marketing. You’re energetically telling someone about something that you think they will benefit from knowing.
Most of the time I’m so happy with what I’m doing on a daily basis, and so delighted with all the great folks I get to network with, that I just naturally want to share that information with others.
For instance, I may post on Facebook what a great time I had developing a site with an artsy, creative person. Now, I’ve told you a lot in that statement. I’ve told you what I do, who my target clients are, and that the process is fun.
When my artsy/creative Facebook followers read that, it will plant a seed. If they need a website, or know of someone who does, guess who they are going to contact. Why? Because I make something they may have anxiety about seem enjoyable. By simply sharing my passion for what I do, I have also presented myself as a solution to a problem that a lot of creative folks have, which is a dread of technology and marketing.
If there’s a secret, a law of attraction element, or a key to this, here it is.
Enthusiasm is contagious.
I love what I do, which is taking what I know and delivering that knowledge to others in a way that helps them get where they want to go. Some of that job is work, but that’s not how I think of it in the long-term, and neither do my clients. Picture it this way. If you spend a day volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, you’ll probably come home tired and sore. But in a few days or weeks, what you will remember is how good it felt to use what you have to help others, and how great it was to be in the company of like-minded and like-hearted folks.
Most of my business comes from enthusiastic word-of-mouth advertising from my clients – who tell their friends – who tell their friends, and so on, about how I over-delivered and made the process fun and easy. I never have to sell anyone anything. I just share my passion with others and I make a living at it. You can too!
