I’ve been hearing from a lot of people that they don’t feel right simply trying to sell stuff at this time…
And I totally get that.
It does seem wrong to be focused solely on making money while frontline medical staff are battling to save our loved ones and the world as we knew it has changed so much, into a more frightening place.
I think the way to deal with that is twofold.
First, you need to shift your perspective on selling and secondly you need to ensure that whatever you do includes something that contributes to the greater good.
The funny thing is that, by doing those two things, you will inevitably make more sales without making any more effort. Let me explain how and give you some resources so you can do implement both.
First up, selling. If you think of it as a service and perform it as a service then the only thing you can be doing is good for your fellow human beings and for yourself.
How do you perform it as a service? By genuinely creating products that benefit those who need them, by making recommendations that, again, provide genuine solutions and by continually putting your audience and customers first.
If you do all that, then you become a trusted advisor and friend to your customers. And that inevitably means they will go to you first for their solutions, products, services and anything else you offer.
There are 5 steps on how to do all of that so you are selling authentically here:
https://www.businesshorsepower.com/from-selling-to-serving-5-steps-to-authentic-selling/
I also really like this which shows you how sales serve people and make the world a better place…and how you can both serve and sell more:
Let’s move on to what you can do to contribute to the greater good.
One thing I did this week was create a collection of worksheets, lessons and exercises to teach creative writing. These are for older people stuck at home or in residential homes and prisoners who have no access to education right now.
I did this along with others who contributed and we have put together packs that can be sent or downloaded and then printed out for the recipients.
I have taught both groups of people and know how valuable it is for them to focus on educational and creative projects. You could easily do the same.
Here are some places you can create worksheets and other educational material that can help all age groups and in all kinds of subjects and ways:
http://www.toolsforeducators.com/
https://worksheets.theteacherscorner.net/
You could also simply use Word or Google Docs and create PDFs which is what I did.
Other things you could do include putting together simple reports to teach one skill that will help people (don’t just think of marketing but of all the skills you have to pass on such as cooking, gardening, playing a musical instrument etc)
You could also create instructional videos using these tools, tutorials and resources:
https://animoto.com/make/tutorial-videos
And you could simply provide something to entertain and engage people’s minds such as a puzzle or colouring book with these resources:
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coloring-Book/
The beauty of all of this is that you can make some to sell and some to give, meaning that you can ethically run your business while genuinely helping other people.
For more ideas on how to market and sell with a conscience right now, take a look at what Neil Patel has to say:
I absolutely loved the TED talk I have chosen for you this week and I hope you do too – how to shift your mindset and choose your future:
