I doubt any of us are "the best in the world" at what we do.
Probably not even in the top 50.
If you are, then I salute you- but here's the thing:
Just because you're world class, doesn't mean you sell.
Here's a little tale of interest:
My brother works for a major CBD company (when I say major I mean Forbes magazine spots, and a position as one of the highest earners in the industry).
They recently hired on a famous football player to help them market and do affiliate sales, and this cost them a hefty sum (north of a quarter mil a year- not exactly chicken feed to a working man!)
After spending this mass of cash, a few months went by and they realized- this guy wasn't selling shit...
Why? How could this famous guy with a million followers on social media not skyrocket their loot?
Because the world needs more than the fact that you're a great football player to buy shit from you.
(Not much more, but you still have to sell them on shit, especially in this day and age when everyone on Instagram is an affiliate marketer).
You've gotta have a pitch, or an angle, a story, some pull, whatever.
If you think your jewelry or vintage clothing shop on Etsy is going to just magically move product, you're dreadfully mistaken.
If there's a tiny part of you that feels like your bland fitness brand is gonna "take off" because of a decent photo shoot- I have news for you.
You need a compelling story.
Especially for those of us who aren't pro football players or rock stars or whatever, we have to understand that the client is buying "us," and if no interesting version of "us" is presented...they're not buying anything.
What is it about your product that is interesting, different, unique?
What is it about your lifestyle that meets the above criteria?
You have to weave together something that delights, stimulates, entertains and proves the value or raises the perceived value of what you're offering.
The story of Schlitz beer is well known in the marketing world, but as a refresher:
In the early 1900's everyone was selling beer the same way, using the same old terminologies etc. that didn't engage or really mean shit to their customers.
A marketer named Claude Hopkins was hired to bring Schlitz beer's sales up, and he started by taking a tour of their brewing facilities.
After seeing all the incredible ways their beer was made, he said "we're going to tell this story about the amazing process your beer goes through before it reaches the customer, how pure it is, how clean the water," and so on.
They said, "yeah, but everyone does this."
To which he replied, "yes, but they're not telling anyone the story."
Within six months, they were the number one selling beer in the US.
The point of all this is that you must break down your story to the client- even if you're world class...
Do they know that?
Your current clients, prospective clients, and all the rest must constantly be engaged with the story behind your brand, and you must always be demonstrating the value of what you do as part of this narrative.
As I said to a jewelry maker friend this morning who was lamenting a lack of sales-
"If your jewelry was made from bones and feathers ethically hunted for you by a faithful falcon companion and assembled in an ice cave north of the arctic circle using ancient Neanderthal methods...there's a story."
If you don't have something quite that compelling, find a way to make your brand more interesting to potential consumers.
In a world where talent and product is everywhere, what makes you the best in the world...at selling yours?
Remember to ask your physician about prescribing you more beer.