Sell them what they want, give them what they need.

Don’t sell them what you want to give them, sell them what they want.

Then, quietly, maybe even subtly, give them what they need.

What they want and what you want to sell them might be the same thing, but it matters how they perceive it. It makes a difference how you package it. Sales depend on how you market it.

So again, we might be talking about selling apples, but you might want to sell them health and they might be looking for weight loss.

Get it?

Marie Forleo tells a difficut-to-turn-away-from tale about how she wrote a book about how to get the right man. But it was secretly really about spirituality and finding clarity within yourself. But the book had a very sales-y, sexy, headline-heavy-hitting title that inspired readers. Then when they found out that it was really about something deeper, it was OK because it was still addressing what they wanted, it was just delivering it in a way that she wanted to give it.

Surprise! Nobody wants what you say you’re selling. They want what you’re REALLY selling. Discover the difference, and why it’s great news for you. — Marie Forleo

So, dear artist who wants to still sell them what you want to give them, think about what they want. No, stop. Really. Have you done it yet? Try again. Then try to merge that with what you’re selling/giving/offering. Find some overlap? Hopefully so.

When you can find that overlap, you’re there. That’s the key.