When I was helping someone yesterday I had an epiphany. (Ideal situation, right? Win, win!)
Let me set the scene-- we were discussing how to create a great survey.
A great survey is succinct— makes it quick and easy to fill out. Paring down your words takes a lot of effort! While you’re looking to find the essence of what you’re trying to say, there’s a little ‘how do I feel about making these edits’ kind of thing. It feels good to use less words to get to the point. I think in some regard you are gaining the respect of your audience-- you’re not wasting their time and energy.
Later that day…I had an ‘aha!’ moment. I saw an Instagram from a wholesale show I used to do (I once sold products I’d designed to stores like Whole Foods and museums, including The Smithsonian and the Whitney Museum). The caption read ‘Let me know if you’re walking the aisles of IGES, I’d love to see you there!’ (details irrelevant, just catch the tone-- perky and alludes to #FOMO, our eternal fear of missing out.)
That’s when I remembered-- selling wholesale always means you’re using your products to chase the approval of the market.
I had great relationships with my buyers. I really enjoyed selling what I’d designed and it was exciting to see people buying MY designs all over the world. But in the end, I was dependent on the taste and pricing of the moment. And my success depended on volume, so I needed to make and sell large quantities of products in order to create income and maintain brand value. So very not...me.
Helping someone hone their product is MY why. Working with someone else to increase their value is a thrill that global product sales can’t compete with. My motivation is to the personal connection--making someone else a better them.
If you’re stuck, on anything, I can give you a tip or two from my back pocket. Try me.