“I’m a designer, not a salesperson.”

Quick Summary

A lot of designers say they hate selling. Often, what makes it hard is how personal it can feel when your work is the product. Every client "no" can sound like a verdict on you, not your service. This post breaks down how to sell as a creative using a simple chef vs waiter analogy - and why emotional distance is the secret to confident sales. You will learn practical ways to lead clients, trust your expertise, and use systems that make selling feel repeatable, not scary.

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Most creatives think they’re bad at selling. But it’s not actually selling that they struggle with. It’s the doubts of self-worth that selling exposes.

Here’s an analogy…

A waiter brings you a plate of food that they didn’t cook. They can recommend it confidently because it’s not about them. If you don’t like it, they shrug and say, “Let me get you something else.” No emotional harm.

A chef, on the other hand, is the creator. When they send out a dish, they know their:

• skill is being tasted,
• judgment is being evaluated, and
• creative choices are on display.

Hate to Break It To You

Selling is easy for the waiter because the sale isn’t tied to their identity. For the chef, it is. Any critique feels personal. And you can’t sell confidently when “no” feels like a personal judgment.

That’s why so many creatives, like designers and architects, dread selling.

You’ve been taught to believe, “I’m a creative, not a salesperson.”

Here’s the truth: If you run a business, you’re in sales. 

Not the pushy, sleazy kind. But, you know, the kind where you’re asking clients to trust your ideas, your process, and your judgment to get them a result. And that becomes impossible if your self-worth is attached to your work. 

(That’s why I think advice like “Know your self-worth” isn’t helpful for creative service professionals. Your worth and the worth of your services aren’t the same thing.)

How to Embrace Sales as a Creative

Recently, I asked Kimberley Seldon from Business of Design, a mentor and partner of ours at Findable, how creatives can sell like a waiter, not like a chef.

Here are her top 3 pieces of advice:

1. Adopt a mantra. A waiter doesn’t question whether they’re “worthy” of recommending a dish. They simply deliver it. A mantra helps you create the same emotional distance. Kimberley’s mantra is: “I am the expert. I am the prize to be won. I can only help if I lead. Not all will follow.”
2. Lead with expertise. When you don’t know what you want from the menu, a waiter gives recommendations based on your preferences and tastes.That’s what clients want from creatives, too. They want you to lead every step of the sales process.
3. Use systems. A waiter isn’t improvising every time someone orders. They rely on a menu, scripts, and a process. This removes uncertainty and makes the service repeatable. Kimberley recommends the same. Scripts, processes, and standardized packages make sales feel less personal and prevent you from underselling.

If you want to learn more from Kimberley, check out her podcast, Business of Design, and coaching program.

Daniela