What roles are you avoiding in your Woodworking business?

In the first installment I took you through some of the often overlooked mental requirements for selling your woodworking online. Surprising, wasn’t it? This time, let’s take a look at the roles you’re going to have to adopt if you’re going to sell your precious work online or even in real life for that matter.

A lot of woodworkers (yours truly included) start out thinking that it’s enough to just love to make things and that passion and superior craftsmanship would be the only tools needed to make a terrific living in woodworking. Fast forward some years later, and you have a totally different scenario. You’re either convinced that there’s no way to make money doing what you love, or you’ve reserved yourself to the idea that in order to make a living, you have to take on less-than-stellar work that doesn’t excite or satisfy you in any way. More often than not, woodworkers find themselves in one of these scenarios because they’ve ignored the vital roles that must be adopted in order to really succeed in business.

While this is certainly not an exhaustive list by any means, I am going to hit on what I believe are the top 3 roles that are ignored, or fearfully avoided by a lot of woodworkers.

Marketer

This is a big one. I’ve heard a lot of woodworkers say things like, “I’m a woodworker, not a marketer, so I don’t understand marketing at all. I shouldn’t have to.”

I used to work in my shop with those exact words running through my mind. Is it any wonder why I didn’t make great progress the first five years? Is it any wonder why you haven’t either?

The marketer role is one you’re afraid to assume because you feel inadequate, unlearned, or have been turned off by sleazy marketers in the past. Well, it’s time to fear it no more. In fact, it’s high time to embrace it because, if you are going to make a living or even a supplemental income with your woodworking, you’re going to have to get comfortable and confident with who you are and what you have to offer. That’s what you’re communicating anyway – who you are and what you believe.

For most of you, the problem lies in your understanding of the word marketing. In the beginning, most of you probably think marketing is advertising. You immediately think of newspaper ads, radio and TV commercials, full page magazine spots…and that leaves you dwelling on the crippling costs involved. Well, advertising can be part of marketing, but it’s really only a small fraction that you can choose to implement.

Marketing in it’s simplest definition is communicating your core message to the people who are seeking that message. The marketing role is the backbone of your woodworking business. Virtually everything you do is a form of marketing because virtually everything you do communicates a message to people. Your design, construction methods, wood choices, preferred finishes, and even finished photographs are all a part of your marketing message. All of those aspects communicate something about you to potential buyers. So, since you are already marketing (even though you aren’t aware of it) why not embrace this role and begin to hone these skills as passionately as you hone your woodworking skills? I promise you’ll like the difference this mind-shift makes.

Need a better grasp on marketing your furniture? I know someone who can help.

Salesperson

I think, by far, this role is the most avoided and detested out of all of them. Why? Because you have told me so on numerous occasions.

Run the word “salesperson” through your head and pay attention to what happens. I’m betting most of you kinda threw up a little didn’t you. It’s because we’ve all had bad experiences with plaid suits pushing junk cars, insurance policies, and other not-so-stellar items or services. Sales isn’t sleazy, people are. But, like anything else, the past should not dictate your current reality or forthcoming future.

Sales is important, no make that crucial, for your success online. How else do you expect people to buy? They have to be convinced that your product or service is the one and only thing that will make their life better. This does not mean deceiving, slick-talking, or pushing them into doing something they didn’t want to do in the first place. That is not selling. That’s scamming. BIG difference. What I’m talking about is learning your ideal client’s needs, wants, likes, hopes, desires, and loves. Then, you present the offer that provides that for them. Yes, again I’m over simplifying, but it sounds a bit more noble now, doesn’t it.

Take the initiative to begin learning how to be the salesperson for your woodworking products. Who better to communicate the beautiful benefits of experiencing your work, then you, the maker? Like anything worth doing this is a skill to be exercised daily. Study, observe, and DO great sales tactics and techniques. You’ll be very pleased in the long run.

Writer

“Writer?! I’m a woodworker. I’m not going to write anything!”

Before you let this ridiculous phrase stick in your cranium, let me just remind you that we are talking about online sales here. Online as in the Internet, as in websites with content, product descriptions, sales pages, and lest we forget blogs. If you’re going to sell your work online, then your primary method of communication will be writing. It’s the material people read when they come your site. It’s the blog posts you’re crafting for your ideal customer. It’s even the content of your About page.

You will, I repeat, will be spending a great deal of time writing if you are going to put any serious effort into making money online with your woodworking. It’s essential. Solid writing skills allow you to show the benefits of your products in the least amount of words. It gives you the ability to touch people’s hearts and minds with your core message that in turn, ignites their hidden flame of desire to own the product around that message. Like you I loathed the idea of writing and learning to be a stellar writer. Nowadays, I’m seeing it differently. That’s why I’m taking great strides to become an effective communicator through the written word. The benefits just make too much sense to not do it.

Stop Avoiding to Start Succeeding

These roles are the Big 3 that I see avoided time and time again in existing solo woodworking ventures. Doing this is certain death. You won’t make real progress in online sales without adopting and embracing them. You can certainly hire out each of these roles, but in the beginning I believe it’s vital you learn them intimately first. For those of you in the “I wish” stage of selling your woodworking online, it’s important to gain a true perspective on the necessity of these roles for your soon-to-be business.

As many of you know, I’ve been on a quest to turn around the last 5 years of my woodworking business faux-pas. Part of that involved confronting my avoidance of these roles. As I have changed my mind about them over the last 18 months, something very surprising happened. I became downright fascinated with learning them as best I can. Now, I get as excited about the latest marketing article as I do about this month’s woodworking magazine! Selling is no longer a concept that turns my stomach. Instead, it’s an opportunity to learn more about my customer and deliver what they need. And that’s the secret. Change your mindset about these roles, and let them become as intriguing as learning to make a housed sliding dovetail key.

These roles are simply just another set of tools and skills to learn. The only difference is instead of the end result of a finely crafted piece of furniture, you get a finely tuned business. I promise good things ahead. When you stop avoiding these 3 roles, you stop avoiding your success.

Are you avoiding these roles? Why? Why not? What other roles should be included on this list?

P.S. If you need help designing furniture that sells, grab this free resource now.

Related posts:

1. Do You Have What it Takes to Sell Online?
2. 3 Questions to Get You Something Free

What do you do when you see a real need in your world?

You make something valuable to help as many people as possible!

As the internet sees more and more woodworkers harnessing it’s amazing potential, the need to learn solid principles of marketing and selling one’s work becomes more urgent.

It’s no secret that Alison Heath and I have been working at joining forces lately. (If you’re not familiar with Alison, you really need to check out her new site here!)

With Alison’s background and expertise in furniture marketing, and my experience as a growing woodworking entrepreneur, we decided that we could help a lot more people in the online woodworking world by working together rather than both of us trying to go at it alone.

So, we decided to get together and make something amazing, awesome, and FREE just for you.

Seriously. We want to make a free resource that helps you take your ideas of selling your woodwork online and turn it into solid reality. In order to help us make and give away exactly what you want, we would really appreciate your help letting us know what that is exactly.

We have a small 3 question survey that will give you the chance to tell us exactly what you would really like to have. Please take a minute to fill it out. It would mean a lot to us. Think of your answers as the intricate, perfect-fitting joinery that will hold this project together!

Take the survey here.

Thank you so much for helping out Alison and I. You’re opinion is really important to us.

Be looking for this free resource very soon and just think, you’re helping build it! How cool is that?!

Related posts:

1. Why Are You Avoiding the Big 3? (Selling Online pt. 2)
2. Do You Have What it Takes to Sell Online?

2010 State of the Craft Address

2010 is your year!

• This year more than any other, you have the power to transform your woodworking blog or website into whatever you want it to be!

• You can become the go-to authority as this community grows. You do not need anyone’s permission or approval to sell your work, teach your methods of woodworking, or get in with the “big dogs” of woodworking. You have that power now!

• You have all the tools right at your fingertips to make 2010 the Year of the Internet Woodworker!

If you agree with this video, please spread the word! Tell the world why you agree.

Post link to it.

Embed it to your blog. Just click on the embed button on the player.

Tweet This!

Share it.

If you disagree with this video, then by all means do the same thing. Share it and tell the world why you disagree with it.

Leave a comment telling why you agree or disagree.

If you want to make 2010 your year as a woodworker online, then sign up now for the advanced list. You’ll get first dibs on all the training and resources that are coming from the Woodworker’s Journey to make your pursuit of woodworking, a more passionate and fulfilling experience.

Related posts:

1. Two Resources to Help You Sketch Your Design Success for 2010
2. Video Comments, Collaborations, and Surfing?…

In part one, a series of questions were presented to you that you have probably pondered at one time or another. These questions can really bring you to a point of wondering if anyone cares or even wants you to make your furniture. It’s easy to succumb to the self-doubt and fear that can arise from asking these questions. It can often lead to you wondering if there is any value to you making furniture in the first place.

It can get lonely sometimes with all that wondering going on inside your head. But, I’m here to let you know that getting discouraged is not an option. Instead it’s time to realize exactly what you offer the world through your woodworking.

What if I were to tell you that people really do want you to make your furniture? In fact, what if I said that the entire world needs you to make furniture? How’s that for a sense of purpose!

The World Needs You to be Passionate

If you’re here reading this, then chances are, you are passionate about woodworking. The sound of the hand plane creating delicate shavings is music to your ears. You are always dreaming of the next piece, the next project. You build furniture in your sleep. You have absolute passion for this craft and everything connected to it. In fact, that’s what you’re known for, isn’t it? People cannot think of you without thinking about your unending love of woodworking.

How many people walk around every day without any evident passion? Think of all the folks you come in contact with on a daily basis. How many of them are passionate about something? I mean really passionate. I bet that most aren’t, or if they are, they keep it hidden. They don’t feel as though their passions can be released on the world so they keep it bottled up afraid of people’s reactions to it.

The world needs passionate people living in it. Society needs to see that living with passion is a good thing, regardless of whether other people understand that passion. When you live openly with a passion for something, that spills over into other aspects of life. People see this and take note. It scares some, and it inspires even more. It inspires people to find their passion. It inspires people to live that passion openly.

The World Needs You to Create

Creative people make the world go round. We do! At the heart of every movement, every product, and every big idea is a creative person or group of people who flesh out their creativity and inspiration. When you go to the shop and begin to turn your inspiration into woodworking reality, you’re adding to the creative flow that exists in the world. The lessons you learn and the discoveries you make as you create, add value to your existence and to the existence of everyone around you. We live these lessons and discoveries, and thereby teach them through that living. The very act of creating your pieces, creates lasting value for all to experience through you and your work.

The World Needs You to Succeed

What is your definition of success in your woodworking? I know this can be a topic all by itself, but take a minute and really define this for yourself. What does success look like for you in your furniture making endeavors? Is it earning a living through selling your pieces? Is it having the freedom to express yourself though furniture making? What about having opportunities to share your experiences and inspire others? Each woodworker is going to have a different definition of success because each one will have different reasons for taking up the craft and different goals to achieve within it. Whatever true success looks like for you, the world needs you to achieve that.

When you are working toward your defined success, you become an example of determination, clarity, and dedication. You become what most people wish they were – a person with goals and a very clear purpose. Most individuals walk around wondering what their true purpose in life could be. You, however, have found a purpose in woodworking, and striving for that purpose is part of striving for your success.

Notice, I haven’t said anything about achieving this success. Your goals of success are certainly achievable, but a person can put too much stock in the final achievement rather than on the lessons that come from the journey towards that success. As we move towards our vision of success, the lessons we learn along the way can change that vision, so we change our course. Be open and flexible enough to change course and you’ll find this success coming sooner than later.

The world needs to see that success on your own terms is certainly obtainable and worthy of striving for. Fear, doubt, self-sabotage, and following convention all need to be obliterated by you and your path to success. Show the world that your core values trump all conventional wisdom, and that your definition of success is a most worthy and courageous pursuit.

The World Needs You

When it all seems pointless, when you’re wondering if you and your furniture even matter, remember that the world desperately needs you to work, live, and be your woodworking. Let your core message and values shine through each piece you create and each day as you live with the passion for a most worthy and noble craft. Let your authenticity shine through each plane stroke, and saw cut. Make each finished piece a message about you and your mission. Let the world know that without you and your furniture, it would be a lot worse off.

Have you struggled with this in your woodworking pursuits? If you have, why? If you haven’t, why not?

Let’s talk about it.

Related posts:

1. Does the World Really Need Your Furniture? Pt. 1
2. Have You Found Your “Voice?”

One of the things I love about community, is the ability to promote and share the work of others. When there is a resource that I feel can really benefit you, I’ll spread the word. It’s a big world, and we have a lot to learn from everyone. The only way to grow a community is for all involved to thrive.

Here at The Woodworker’s Journey, design is emphasized as part of the foundation to a passionate and fulfilling experience in woodworking. Without good design, you don’t have much of a foundation to build from. I wanted to pass along two resources that will help you with your new designs for this new year.

Design Really Does Matter

The first is George Walker’s new blog, Design Matters. It’s a wonderful exploration of the principles that guide design and often pulls references from history. The blog is an extension of George’s forthcoming design column over at Popular Woodworking due out in February. He’s also working on a series of furniture design DVD’s. (The first two are out now through Lie-Nielsen.)

George, a veteran woodworker for over 25 years, conveys his experience and research through well-thought and expertly crafted posts. No matter your level of experience in furniture design, you will walk away with a new perspective on…well, perspective. Head over there and join the conversation. Tell him Adam sent you!

Every Day Design

The second resource is a new project from friend and fellow furniture maker, Jamon Schlimgen. He’s committed to drawing one piece of furniture everyday, for the entire year. Each day he posts his sketch for all to see at The Drawing Boards, where he includes his inspirations and observations concerning each design.

I want to bring Jamon’s project to your attention because he’s putting in to practice the one key to ultimate design success – action! It’s daily action, even. A lot of you have expressed confusion and fear about learning to draw and sketch your ideas on paper. Well, today is your day! What better way to really cut those new design teeth, than with a 365 project of your own. Seriously.

I challenge you to join Jamon in his daily designing. Spend some time each day simply drawing a quick sketch of a piece that’s been on your mind, or perhaps it’s something that just come to you in a flash of inspiration. The key is to do it. I can hear you now already complaining about the quality of your drawing. Stop it! That’s no excuse and it never will be. These aren’t supposed to be miniature works of art. They’re quick representations of your inspirations. Got it? Good.

Now, the second part. After you draw them, post them on the web. Put it on your blog, link to them in the comments on Jamon’s site, post them on Twitter, or if you don’t have access to any of those, let me know and I’ll see about putting them up here. The point is to make it public! “But, that might open me up to criticism!” Yes, but it also opens you up to valuable feedback and it gets you designing. A pretty fair tradeoff in my book. So, now that we have your excuses out of the way, it’s time to get started.

Step 1: Read these posts from The Woodworker’s Journey and subscribe if you haven’t yet.

Step 2: Go see George Walker to find out why Design Matters.

Step 3: Head over to Jamon’s 365 project to see how it looks, leave a comment, and let him know you’re doing it too.

Step 4: Start drawing and post them to the web.

Step 5: Reap the rewards of a fresh perspective and renewed design inspiration!

Let me know how it’s going, in the comments, will you?

Related posts:

1. A Simple Process for Design Success
2. I Might Just Get In Trouble For This…

This topic was producing the longest post in the history of blogging, so I broke it up into a series.

Years ago, I was talked in to displaying and “selling” at a local art show. I thought it would be good chance to show the community that there was some quality woodworking happening around them. I spent several weeks toiling away on smaller items people could buy and carry around with ease. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for people to buy. I remember having visions of crowds backed up to my booth, and all the other vendors scratching their heads in amazement. I was so sure people would want what I was making because these were fresh designs, complimented by “expert” craftsmanship.

Finally the day came, and I set up my table with all of the beautiful items. I unfolded a couple of chairs for people to sit and talk if they like, and unlocked my money box. I was ready for the tidal wave of art patrons! One by one, people slowly started walking by,pointing and making comments to themselves. A few people grew to a small crowd after a couple of hours. Then, by midday I was immersed in folks standing around asking questions, discussing construction methods, and wood choices. I was thrilled! I talked to so many people that day, that I lost my voice.

The show ended, and I was beat. I had stood there all day talking, greeting, and telling my story to literally thousands of people. I finally sat down, and opened the money box to see how much I had made. Empty. What?!?! Nothing?! No sales? That’s right. No one bought anything. I was devastated. I spent the rest of the day putting everything back in the shop and feeling very worthless. One question kept running through my mind that evening; “Does the world really need my furniture?”

At some point in time, I’m sure this question has run through your mind. You work in your shop, alone, and wonder if what you’re doing really matters. You might ask yourself:

Does it really matter to anyone else but me whether I make furniture or not?

Who wants my work? (other than family being nice)

What good does it do to make things no one sees or cares about?

What good are you doing if your work isn’t being featured in the magazines, isn’t on display in prestigious galleries, or isn’t even being asked for by clients? Is there even a reason for you to keep working? There can be many reasons for giving up in your pursuits of mastering the craft, so why do you keep going?

The way of the craftsman can feel very lonely at times. Especially when there is no one waiting with open arms for your completed work. Before you throw in the proverbial shop towel and sell your tools on Ebay, I just want to tell you that there is hope. People do want what you make, and in fact they might just need it.

In part 2 we’ll look at what the world might be needing from you as a woodworker.

So, did you come up with any answers when you asked yourself those questions? Have you found a reason to keep making your furniture? Is there a bigger picture that you keep in mind while designing and building those precious objects of distinction?

Let’s talk about it in the comments.

Open the eyes of the world to your work by subscribing to The Woodworker’s Journey.

No related posts.

I can’t say it enough – Thank You!

I’m grateful for all of you who have made The Woodworker’s Journey possible.

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. I hope and pray that today is a time of peace and blessing. Whatever you do today, do it with gratitude, and enjoy every moment.

I can’t wait to see where this coming year will take us as we passionately pursue our journeys in woodworking.

Related posts:

1. Two Resources to Help You Sketch Your Design Success for 2010
2. Does the World Really Need Your Furniture? Pt. 1

I was recently a guest on the The Sawdust Chronicles. Rick, Pete, and I had a blast covering topics ranging from hand tools, furniture design, and even threw in a Donnie Darko reference or two. Yeah, it’s a pretty wide conversation. Believe it or not, I think you’ll enjoy it.

Part 1

Part 2

Related posts:

1. Have You Found Your “Voice?”
2. Two Resources to Help You Sketch Your Design Success for 2010

You’ll notice I disabled the video comments for Woodworker’s Journey. It was due to a lot of technical problems with them and no support. It seems the folks at Riffly don’t exist anymore, so tech support was nill. Also, none of the video comments could play in IE.

(NO ONE should be web browsing with Internet Explorer in the first place. Firefox is best for PC people.)

Also, it wasn’t quite the platform of connection I had hoped it would be. My vision for The Woodworker’s Journey is to have a meeting place for all of us to share, connect, and inspire each and every one of us on our personal Journey. Each post, each video (coming next week), each feature that appears here is for the sole purpose of arming you with the knowledge and tools to work with greater confidence, passion, and fulfillment than you were before. So, I thought small videos could strengthen the connection between us all. I think it could still work, but there were too many cons to keep going with it. So, I’ve updated the comment system with several plugins that will help us continue discussions and connect to each other easier.

Real time collaboration and feedback is crucial to your success in, well…anything you do, not just woodworking. But a problem that occurs in this age of internet woodworking is a lack of real time critique and support. (check out the comments here)

Enter Google Wave. A real time platform for collaboration from the folks at Google. It’s still being tested and it’s invite only. I think it gets more hype than it deserves right now, but a small group of us woodworkers have been testing it’s potential to connect, share, and create. It’s been interesting. Right now my evaluation is simply that it is working for what we want to do with it. The more we play with it the more abilities we discover within it. It’s got potential, and I can’t wait to see where Google will take it.

That being said, Google Wave is again, invite only and I happen to have 19 (14) invites to give away.

If you’re even remotely interested in trying this experiment with us, leave a comment below and say that you want an invite. I’ll email you an invitation and then, you’re in! I really want to help assemble a committed group of woodworking innovators on this platform. We should embrace new technology and adapt it to our needs as a community. Let’s see what we can do to further inspire your woodworking journey while riding the wave.

What do think? Is there room for this kind of innovation in woodworking or are we just distracting ourselves from the real work? Let’s keep talking.

Want to join in on the experiment? Leave a comment below and indicate that you want an invite.

Related posts:

1. I Might Just Get In Trouble For This…
2. Two Resources to Help You Sketch Your Design Success for 2010