How to sell my cakes when I don’t like selling?

One question I get asked a lot – is how to sell my cakes when I don’t like selling?

Are you someone who loves the creation side of your business – but when it comes to discussing prices, you hate it?

You are not alone.

Why is it that when we have thoroughly enjoyed making a cake to order in the comfort of our home, we feel awkward. It seems to us wrong to be rewarded for our effort.

We are left with the question of how to sell my cakes – whilst feel comfortable doing it.

Why is this?

And how do we get over the fact of ‘how to sell my cakes when I don’t like selling?’

Is it because traditionally we have been told work is something to endure. You do 9 – 5 somewhere outside of home, you long for your holidays and you get paid at the end of the month.

Working when you please, inside your house, loving what you do and hopefully getting paid.

This is opposite to what we learnt.

Is it because we are collecting money that is ours?

What if the money belonged to someone else?

Just imagine this…

Imagine a receptionist – she works in a smart health consultants office in the very best street in town. (In UK this could be Harley Street)

She is given the task of phoning a list of patients who owed money. The receptionist spends the afternoon phoning gathering in all the money. The lady meets her target as requested by her consultant boss. Without feeling queasy doing this or going into a flat spin if the patient can’t pay. The receptionist runs through the list without a problem.

What is the difference between her attitude and our attitude about collecting money?

She is not collecting it for herself. She is doing her job for which she is paid.

Now what can we learn from our receptionist?

Even if you only just started charging for your work, morphing from a wonderful hobby into being paid. We could do with some help receiving money.

I know a seasoned cake designer who struggled with being paid the quoted price. (And discounted cakes upon collection – until I had a coaching session with her!)

Can we use some imagination when presenting a price. Remember that you are in business. Try to remove ourselves emotionally from the outcome. If you were collecting the order on behalf of a third person, your mindshift changes. It is now NOT personal.

Remember you are creating a wonderful memory to enhance a celebration for your buyer.