Let’s talk about selling

Very few creatives enjoy selling our stuff.

Whether we’re selling our services or the things we’ve made, most of us struggle. Me included.

I’ve got pretty good at connecting with my tribe through my newsletters, my weekly blog, talks, workshops and podcasts. I love the feedback, the questions, the resources you share with me. You’re my kind of people!

If you’re reading this, you’re probably working in a creative field, or you want to. You struggle with focus, procrastination, structuring your days. There’s a nagging fear around your work that never quite goes away: that it’s not good enough; that you won’t be able to pull it out of the bag this time; that it’s easier for others; that you’re an impostor, faking it while everyone around you knows exactly what they’re doing. 

You know you should be marketing more, but you’re uncomfortable doing it or you’re not quite sure how. You might have some blocks around money and security. You perhaps know you that you should be taking more breaks, looking after yourself better.. And you plan to do that, just as soon as you’ve got these next few jobs done. 

Does any of that sound familiar? 

That’s because I’ve struggled with all of these things in my own life, and see them again and again with my clients and friends. You’ve probably been drawn here because you share at least some of those challenges. 

It’s tough. Yet you can’t quite bring yourself to stop making your art, your words, your music, your designs, your photographs, your performances, your plays, your films or TV shows, your pots/furniture/clothes/whatever else it is that you create. Because at some deep, fundamental level, it’s who you are. 

I’m not sure we ever solve it all. 

Creative work is hard. Which is why it’s so satisfying and absorbing when we get into flow. Or when we bring a project to completion, and we do it well. 

Over the years, and through my training as a coach, I’ve found ways to make the creative life work for me, and ideas and experiments others can try to make it work for them. (Because we’re all different. There are no easy, one-size-fits-all solutions.)

But selling still feels icky, pushy to me.

Especially now in the UK, when normal life is apparently suspended for a period of national mourning (though quite how the self-employed are supposed to survive and pay their rising bills during this long pause is anyone’s guess).

I feel I’ve gone on and on about my group coaching programme this month. But in truth I’ve also been a bit sheepish about it, a bit unsure how much to say in this strange period in which a monarch who was there all of our lives suddenly wasn’t.

Yet I’m proud of this programme.

It gets results. It’s a more affordable way to access my coaching. It’s interactive and fun. And it gives you much more than support and coaching from me. You’ll be with a small group of up to 10 creatives, and you’ll share wisdom and support with each other.

That’s the joy of these groups. They’re full of smart, creative people from different fields and at different stages of their careers, and we all learn from each other.

So what does it cover?

Every session is flexible, with plenty of time for people to bring questions and challenges. But in the ten, 90-minute online sessions, this is what we talk about:

1. Finding your why: what exactly you’re moving towards in terms of the work you want to make, the life you want to build for you and your loved ones, the values you want to uphold and the change you want to be in the world. 
2. Talking about your work with confidence. And dealing with those nagging inner voices that tell you it’s not ready yet, it’s not good enough, that you’re not good enough. 
3. Finding your focus in a world of distraction, and paying attention to the most important things.
4. Structuring your days (even when they’re irregular ones) with habits, routine, rituals and planning that supports rather than restricts you.
5. Marketing and selling in a way that is right and authentic to you.
6. Connection: building your network, your community, your audience, your support team. 
7. Money matters: dealing with money admin, creating packages for your services and putting a price on your work.
8. Creating multiple income streams: the key to security in a fast-changing world.
9. Investing in yourself, without guilt but without getting into debt, either. In self-care. Training, Support. Equipment. What do you most need, to progress?
10. Resting, taking breaks, having fun – and why play is crucial to creatives who want to keep having new ideas and avoid burnout. 

I believe in this course.

I’ve done 11 of these groups now. I’ve seen some participants make huge shifts over the ten weeks. And others make subtle little course-corrections that have helped them earn more, enjoy work and life more, and progress big projects.

I’ve seen new friendships made, a few collaborations started amongst group members, and lots of laughter, sharing and support. 

So I’m making a promise.

Money is tight at the moment for many of us, so I want to make this risk-free. If you don’t feel you’re getting value by the end of week three, you can leave the group and I’ll give you a full refund, with no arguments, no hard feelings. 

If you’re still unsure, book a 15-minute Zoom chat with me. There’s no obligation, but I’m happy to talk, answer questions, and help you check if it would be a good fit for you and your business. 

Ready to grow your creative business? 

Click below to reserve your place on the course, which starts 30 September at 7.30pm (UK time). The cost is £595 for ten weeks.

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