During Easter this year I felt like I needed a break. So I decided to visit my coach Joana in Germany. I took a train ride from my hometown to hers and it was truly a beautiful and peaceful weekend. But it also brought me some important wisdom about sales. Joana told me that the biggest block for women in business was sales. It is one thing to realize the value that you bring to the world but then you also have to set the price and ask for it. You can run your whole business and not actually sell anything. Selling has everything to do with self worth. So the key message here is asking. Do you want to buy my product?
Remember when she also brought up the term “self image psychology”. This is the psychology of how you view yourself and how this influences everything you do for yourself and others. This includes running a business. The way you view yourself is crucial and very tied in with how your business is going to go. Especially as an entrepreneur. You are the ambassador of your business. So if your self image is broken this will be reflected in the way you do business as well.
How to sell yourself and your business?
Before we get into sales I think it is important to talk about value creation first. The tool to do that is money, but you are the creative source and your business is the structure/product of that creative source. So when increasing this value there are some steps to take in order to grow.
The steps of value creating
-Identifying what you are missing: in my case this is financial wellness.
- Learn: Getting new knowledge is crucial to completely change your mindset and grow. Because the information you currently have did not bring you to the level you need to go. Dive into the new topic. Listen to podcasts and other entrepreneurs with the same problems. Get into networks for entrepreneurs and invest in yourself by choosing mentors, masterclasses, business accelerators etc.
- Applying your new knowledge: Doing this with a mentor or advisor will reduce the chances of falling back or giving up because they can serve as an accountability partner, they can lay out future steps so you are not surprised by unforeseeable events and get you through the transformational chaotic phase.
- Selling: by sharing your value with people who are committed to your vision.
Sales & Branding
Okay now let’s get into sales. Let me start by saying. Fake it till you make it is bad business advice. I rather want to teach you to be your authentic self because being yourself in your business will lead to you leading a business that is completely aligned with your values. So when you want to sell and share your value with people who are committed to your vision, you need to know who you are. What are your values and what does your vision look like? It is important to identify this first before you put yourself out there and stand by it 100%. This is why I started working with a brand advisor, Denise Roos. By creating clarity on who you are, it will be easier to find people who resonate with you and your business.
Here is the thing. You are not your business. Your worth is not tied into your business, it's only a product of your creativity. Your creativity is what makes you worthy. This was a very important lesson I've learned before I started developing my personal brand next to Orisun Studio. It liberated me in a sense too. Because I had more ideas and I also want to be able to travel. I can leave Orisun Studio and come back to it but my creativity comes with me everywhere I go.
The path of authentic self discovery is less about creating who you are and more about releasing all the things you are not. @yourownfrequentcy
Ask and you shall receive
Since financial support from my parents during my studies and business was no option I noticed how creative my mind got when I was passionate about something. During my last year of law school I started following courses to get funding in the non-profit business. This skill brought me a lot and I still profit from it. Orisun Studio was my first introduction to entrepreneurship and funding. I learned to pitch at events, how to write project plans and even crowdfunding in the Dutch cultural sector. Now that I realize I am an entrepreneur who wants to make serious profit to create impact I am now learning how to build sustainable business models and I am also getting into the world of investing and venture capitalists with the new mindset that comes with this. This brings me to the last blog of the financial wellness series: Fortune favors the bold” where I will talk about the future value of money, generational wealth and skill of being delusionally bold.