Stop Selling Your Product If You Want People to Buy It

Why focusing on story, emotion, and authenticity beats the hard sell every, single, time, by guest blogger Jaime Prohaska, Director of Marketing, Gare, Inc. 

After years in marketing, I’ve discovered a simple truth: pushing your product is the fastest way to stall your growth and tank your sales.

Sounds a little bit backward, right? But it’s one of the biggest mistakes I see people and

businesses make — especially in the creative industry. When you focus too much on

the “thing” you’re selling, you miss what truly motivates people to buy it: the emotional

connection. If you can hit that emotional button with your customer, they will fall in love

with your business and happily spend their money with you. To achieve this, don’t “sell”

your product. Instead, try these three things.

One: Sell Your Story

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolkit.

Chances are, you aren’t the only one selling what you sell. You probably have a

competitor or two that sells something kinda’- sorta’ like yours. That’s totally okay! A

good competitor will keep you on your toes and keep you striving to create and deliver

your best marketing content. But I will tell you a secret… your greatest advantage isn’t

the product itself — it’s you and your team.

Everyone loves a good story. People connect with people, not just objects. Nike doesn’t market sneakers; they tell stories about perseverance (“Just Do It”). Dove doesn’t sell soap; they celebrate real beauty (“Let’s Change Beauty”). Airbnb doesn’t push rooms and homes to rent; they invite you to (“Belong Anywhere”).

At Gare, our story is about creativity, inspiration, community, and family (“Where Creativity Comes to Life”). We share stories through our creative team — Dave, Susan, Tammy, Robert, Charlotte, Jaime (and the rest of the Gare crew) — the whole squad

because our customers aren’t just buying bisque or glaze. They’re investing into a family of people who are passionate about and love what we do. We care a lot about the designs and products we create, the industry we love, and helping our studios succeed. Your team is your brand, and your story sells your product. That’s real brand equity in action. No competitor can clone that.

Here’s something to try: share your brand’s origin story, talk about what lights you up, what’s hard, what wins felt small but mattered. Weave and thread these stories throughout all your marketing content — website, social reels, emails.

Two: Sell the Emotion

Emotion is The Real MVP of Your Marketing Funnel!

Wanna’ know something crazy? At Gare, we don’t market bisque or glaze.

On paper, sure — Gare designs, manufactures, and sells ceramic bisque and glazes. But along with our team, what we really market is the feeling our products create. Inspiration, nostalgia, magic and joy.

Think about our Mug-O-Saurus – its function is a vessel to hold your morning coffee or tea, but it’s the smile that appears on your face when you paint it that we sell. Our vintage Christmas trees aren’t just holiday décor; they’re heirlooms, treasures that great grandkids will unpack every Christmas as they decorate their home for the holidays.

Other brands who practice the same strategy:

• Coca-Cola sells happiness (“Open Happiness”).

• Jeep sells freedom and adventure ("Go Anywhere. Do Anything")

• Carnival Cruise-line sells fun. (“Fun For All. All For Fun.”)

If you want customers to light up when they see your product, focus on the emotion

behind it. Don’t just post a photo of your product with a price tag. Craft content that’s

engaging – show how your product fits into your customer’s story and their lifestyle.

Three: Be Vulnerable, Be Authentic, Be You

In a world saturated with polished ads and stock images, authenticity is magnetic, and

consumers are thirsty for it.

People don’t want to support faceless companies and corporations — they want to

support people. Show them who you are. Share your wins and lessons learned. Pull

back the curtain and show them a “behind the scenes” on your process, introduce your

team, let your audience see the heartbeat behind your business.

Vulnerability isn’t being unprofessional. It means letting who you are and your passion

shine through. Post the blooper reel of “take 26” filming your last tutorial video. Share

that photo of your team laughing during your last brainstorming session. Tell a story like

how none of us knew what an axolotl was at our spring design meeting, but now it’s

flying off the shelves of studios around the world. spotlight a customer who made

something amazing with your product.

When people see the real you, they’ll root for you — not just because you offer a great product, but because they believe in you – they want to support you and your business. That kind of marketing is priceless and that’s the kind of loyalty money can’t buy.

Wrapping Things Up

At Gare, we think of our studios as our friends and our family. We know that when our

studios are successful, we are successful, and we’re committed to helping this industry

stay healthy and grow.

When you shift your marketing from “look at our product” to “look at our story, our

passion, and our heart,” you’ll create connections that last a lifetime — and yes, your

revenue will follow.

If you ever have questions about marketing your studio or want a fresh perspective,

reach out. We’re always here to help you thrive.

Remember: Don’t just sell your product.

1. Sell your story.

2. Sell the emotion.

3. Be authentic.

That’s how you build a business your customers will love.