The internet is truly magic. Where else can you accomplish so many things at once? It’s the only place that I know of where I can watch skaters getting hurt, check my email 15 times a minute, read my buddy’s blog posts, download the greatest obscure hits of the 80’s, play a never-ending game of Street Fighter, carry on micro conversations, and learn Scottish Gaelic. All while eating breakfast!
Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a wee bit, but there’s no denying the amazing potential that exists for anyone looking to harness this instant portal to millions of eyes and minds. In the last few years, the internet has allowed a huge number of companies to take shape, when in the conventional real world, they would have never gotten off the ground. It’s this draw that has a lot of people seriously considering making a living using online resources. It’s also this draw that has my inbox seeing the same question on a regular basis:
“How do I get started selling my (woodwork) online?”
That’s a big question. There are a lot of factors to consider when taking your work online. Besides the product itself, there’s branding, the marketing plan, web presence, social platforms, payment and shopping cart integrations, shipping options, …hey, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But, before your head starts swirling trying to contemplate all of that at once, you need to ask yourself the most important question that will determine the future of your online woodworking career.
Do I have what it takes to sell my work online?
What does it take, exactly? You hear all the time about passion, desire, determination, etc. Those are crucial, to your success. For sure. But, what’s at the level right above those things? What exactly does the passion and desire fuel? What’s next after you recognize your passion for woodworking and your desire to begin selling your work?
Self identity as a woodworker.
Throughout your lifetime as a woodworker, you will change directions, shift your focus, and reinvent yourself on numerous occasions. But, at the beginning it’s vital to get a realistic view of who you are as a maker and what you have to offer. This means sitting down, taking time to understand where you are now in the craft and getting a vision of where you really want to be down the road. Do you desire to work by yourself in a small shop creating one of a kind pieces? Is your vision of the future perhaps designing high end work that others than build for you in a shop of 10-15 employees? This vision of the future will help dictate the first moves you make in selling your work online.
This sense of identity also includes your designs. Take stock in what you design and how you design it. What are your influences? Why do they influence you? How is that showing in the work you do now? Will people resonate with those designs, or does it only appeal to you? Is there room for them to expand and evolve, or have you designed yourself into a proverbial corner?
Self identity is confidence in your abilities now and confidence in the abilities you will gain as you grow. This confidence is vital to carrying you through the process of learning to sell.
The ability to handle consistent rejection.
Guess what? The majority of people who see your product in the beginning are going to pass you by. Yep. It’s true. This is due to a number of factors, like not enough recognition, wrong product in front of the wrong audience, not being persuasive enough, etc. I’m not telling you you’ll never make a sale. What I’m telling you is that until you learn who needs your work and how to put it in front of them, you’re going to face some rejection. It won’t be mean, or hurtful. It will be a lot of nice compliments followed by, “No thanks.” It happens, and it will continue to happen throughout your career.
The first signs of rejection can send woodworkers crawling back into their shops vowing to never waste their precious time on the ungrateful general public again. It’s hard not to take it personally. I still struggle with it at times. You and your work are so intimately connected that if someone rejects your offer you really feel as though they flat out rejected you as a human being. Your subconscious is designed to defend you emotionally like that. Learning how to take rejection from the very start will really be a huge step in moving forward to selling online and in person.
It might seem like you need some thick skin to handle all of it, but I challenge you to shift your perspective on this. What if all of those “no thank you’s” ended up being a terrific source of marketing info? Think about it. With each rejection, you’re learning exactly who your work is not intended for, how not to present an offer, and how not to close a deal. Each rejection presents you with the opportunity to learn and grow with experience, and puts you one step closer to doing it right.
Patience to start slow and work up to where you really want to be.
How long did it take you to acquire the woodworking skills you use every day in your shop? How many of those skills allowed you to execute a brand new technique with absolute perfection the first time you tried it? I’m guessing that barring the rarest alignment of the planets, your answer is never. That’s because you need the trial and error experience of doing that skill in the precise manner that produces the desired result. Having never done that before, it’s very hard to visualize exactly what that perfect execution of skills looks like. Repetition of that skill produces the visual record of what works and what doesn’t. That’s why it’s so vital that you never give up until you learn to achieve the desired result.
The exact same formula of success is true when the skills being executed are sales, marketing, and relationship building. You need patience to start where you are now and move forward at the pace you can manage. Repetition is the key. You’ll fail at times and succeed at times. Take careful notes for both instances. Get that visual record of what works in your mind so you can repeat it over and over again with greater results.
It’s no easy task taking your personal woodworking pieces and placing them in front of a world wide audience. However, from my experience, if you possess the key foundation blocks that are necessary before attempting to sell online, then you stand a very good chance of continuing to sell and sell successfully when all others have given up. So, do you have what it takes to sell online? Only you know for sure.
What has been your experience with selling your woodworking online? Are there other qualities that you have found essential for starting this path?
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