Selling Is Difficult : (5 Takeaways from experience)

Just know, The basic concept of this world is that it's competitive as hell. I have dipped my head on the surface of the entrepreneur world. I am a 23 year old design graduate, you can say a COVID graduate. *Smirk*.

After the world went still and uncertain during the COVID lockdown. I tried opening up mental health company and some small design online shops. With help of my design skills and eye along with my family help. I am really privileged to be able to experiment with my time as many couldn't afford to do that, which I am grateful for. So, I quickly opened up an online portal in a few months of the lockdown period.

It's almost going to be a year now and noticed that one great aspect of any business and entrepreneurship is “Selling”.

Herewith a few months of experience in creating a business plan and design strategy and whatnot. Here are certain points that I would like to point out for my buddy entrepreneur. I know I am not an expert, This COVID at least taught me something :

1. You have to be Aggressive: I own almost 4–5 online design shop. In my opinion, I have a few decent amounts of sellable designs or items. But the thing is that to make an impact you have to make self-promotion a priority. On the other hand, I believed in an organic sale that is I thought that my products will be sold on their own merit. But that’s, not the case you have to hard-sell it like a shameless guy who keeps on promoting a business. We all know that kind of guy, isn’t it? But that’s the reality. Now, this brings us to the next point.
2. If it’s not “Unique” then it won’t sell: Now if you are producing a product or service that is just a simple modified or tweaked version of other products and something close by then it will be really hard to sell. As you all guessed that’s what called “competition”. No one in this world is the best and forever champion. If you are planning on making a product then make sure to be as creative and innovative and unique as possible in this whole universe. Mind It when I say “In This Whole Universe”. If you focus on that phrase then it is really difficult to be that unique cause someone or others already did or planning on the very same idea you have. So, if not unique enough to grab attention then you have to go out in the street and beat your own drum (I meant, “Hard — Push Selling”).
3. Tangible goods or Physical good — Sales: It’s really difficult to sell any service or goods in the virtual world. Until and unless a product can be touched and felt and given the chance to have a trial run at first. You see when you go for buying any dress at first, you go to the “Trial Room” not just to see the fittings but subconsciously you give it a trial run and feels the texture and how good it looks on you and many more. Similarly, it works for other products also. Now that’s why a service is difficult to sell because you can’t really have a proper trial run. As you know I have opened up a mental health service, here what interesting is that, people do seek such services during this lockdown and COVID19 situation but still in today’s time they do not trust the online payment system (I don’t blame tough, the virtual world is indeed filled with the scam at least in India the most). Hence, they prefer face to face consultation rather an online session.
4. Money buys Money: I am sure you all know this harsh reality. To gain some traction or visibility, you need to burn some cash oil in return. There’s nothing really anything called organic. Without any initial investment in marketing and sale, you can’t really reach a stage where you expect your product to be selling organically. I hope you guys can follow me; what I am saying? So, let me be honest, I used google ads for my mental health website but here’s the thing I burning around 15k per month and in return about 1k per month. This math is really not encouraging enough for me or anyone to keep on investing. But I know I can’t really give up now. You know this too shall pass.
   This brings to my next point;
5. You have to be persistent: During all the hard times and uncertainty its ok to feel lost and defeated. Many of us all feeling this right now. But here’s my dichotomy that i have opened up a mental health wellness site just for people who needs an external support and ear, for someone like who feels helpless and defeated. We all go through this, but many people can’t really cope it up. My goal is to keeping such people motivated and persistent to their goal and ambition. Hence what I can do best is staying persistent on making a good marketing and sales.

Hope to make more positive ripple effect across the world.I know various market across the world is affected, we will overcome this together be persistent and hold your ground harder.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” -Thomas Edison