It happens all the time, window shoppers pass by retail stores. Those stores do not oblige the passer by. The sales people don’t jump out of the building to talk to the walker by, they stay inside. Why? Well, the passerby is not really going to shop, nor are they going to invest in the product. They are going to waste the time of a sales person. The only time this doesn’t happen is in a car dealership. When you are an artist, you are not a car salesman, nor should you behave as one. Predatory sales don’t work, and if you look at the greatest artists of the past, there was a line in the sand where they said no to counterproductive situations. It’s within that framework that you should look at doing business with people that invest in themselves, and not just those that are passing by.
The Iron Sharpens Iron Theory
There’s a biblical principle that states, “iron sharpens iron”. That means that greatness rubs off on others. In any art form, no matter what you consider, if you push yourself amidst others that are pushing themselves, you will end up with a positive result. However, if you are only surrounding yourself with people that are not going anywhere, or don’t believe in themselves, that mentality will rub off on you as well. If the people around you aren’t investing in themselves, then you are going to lose out in the long term. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have friends, it means that in your professional world, you need to have people that are going somewhere in your midst. If you invest in yourself, others should be doing the same with themselves. That way, you will be dealing with people that are going to respond to what you’re doing.
The Sales Element
One of the hardest things to do in sales is door to door business. Knocking on doors and selling products is tough. The reason is simple, people aren’t ready to shop. They aren’t looking to buy anything and you have to rely on your wits and pitch to sell them. Flip the switch. If you are serious about your craft, have them come to you. Those that are ready to buy will not waste time, they’ll give you their money. Think of it in terms of high tech. There are certain companies that are trying to be bigger, and they spend millions of dollars on advertising. Then there are those that don’t. They have lines outside of their doors during product launch, and they cater to those that want to buy, not browse. Getting there is a matter of investing in people that want to invest in themselves, their craft, and are ready to buy. Throwing advertising at the wall is not the answer. That’s why the turnover of the new gadgets for some companies is through the roof, and the others? Well, no one cares if they update or not.
