Many designers and artists have a problem selling themselves well. With her new book, BizEtiquette, Cassie Piasecki’s tips are a must-read. Today, she is my guest-blogger, writing about the importance of confidence. Cassie…
I have a friend who bakes cookies for a local café. They are amazing and on most days, they sell out before lunch ends. Once or twice a month she delivers a couple to my office with a note that says, “These aren’t that good but I hate to throw them away.” A few weeks ago, I took an exercise class from a friend of a friend that had stellar reviews. As I held out my hand to shake hers, she leaned in and said, “My classes are probably way below your fitness level. You should check out Gym XYZ.” Both of these ladies broke a basic BizEtiquette Rule! It surprises me how frequently I find someone just starting out in business with the same attitude.
Have you turned off a new client before they even got a chance to know you?
“My store is a mess.”
“My newsletter was boring.”
“This necklace isn’t that cute.”
To have great BizEtiquette, you must be confident! Being confident allows you to look people in the eye when you meet them, ask to be paid what you deserve for your services and create demand for your products. No excuses. If you don’t feel great about the stuff you are putting out, fix it. The stuff you do put out? Own it! It is the best widget out there. If you do this, you will never feel the need to discount yourself, your service or your product to a customer.
Cassie Piasecki is the author of BizEtiquette. She is a Pro-Brainstormer, obsessed with entrepreneurs, a stickler for good etiquette, fitness freak & tech geekette. You can read her blog, SmartyCassie, and find her on twitter @SmartyCassie.
