How to Go from “Hating” Marketing to Loving It
Last week I launched Market45 to start selling some of the brands that have graduated from the Factory45 program.
In the build up to launch day I was interviewed by a media outlet that asked me the following question:
What have you learned about yourself in launching this new business venture?
I know that I was probably supposed to say something heartwarming like, “I’m capable of more than I think” or “Hard work really does pay off”…
But instead I said,
“I love marketing even more than I thought I did.”
I know, not the most inspirational sentence I’ve ever said, but allow me to explain…
When you live in an industry of creatives, “marketing” and “selling” are often seen as dirty words.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this sentence from the designers I teach:
“I just feel so ‘sales-y’…”
And each and every time, I want to take them by the shoulders and say,
“Well, yeah, because you’re trying to make a sale…”
In the Factory45 program we talk exhaustively about the “pre-launch phase.”
It’s those crucial months before you launch your business when you’re building up momentum, trying to attract an audience and getting ready to sell your product.
Having recently been in that pre-launch phase for Market45, I can confidently say:
I live for this phase.
To me, there is nothing better than building anticipation for your audience and getting them excited about what you’re creating.
But like many new entrepreneurs, I didn’t always feel that way.
There was a time when I worried about coming across as pushy or self important or annoying.
And here’s what I realized:
In order to run a successful business, you have to “embrace the sale.”
The good news is,
When you believe in what you’re selling — that’s really easy to do.
My guess is that if you’re on my email list or reading my blog, then you have a product or idea or current business that is a better option than what the fast fashion retailers, or Wal-Mart or other big box stores offer.
And that’s something to immediately believe in.
Whether it’s a more ethical / sustainable / independent / conscious option compared to what else is on the market, you are providing an alternative that yes, the world needs.
So, the next time you question whether you should send one more email to your list or post one more Instagram about your Kickstarter or create one more Facebook ad, I want you to repeat after me:
>> The world needs to know that my product provides a better option.
>> My customer wants to hear from me because my product is solving a problem for them.
>> The industry needs independent brands like mine to succeed.
Because the future of fashion depends on it.
