Your Story Is Not Extra: How to Talk About Your Work Without Sounding Salesy

Have you ever stood at your market table while someone picked up your work, and all you could manage was, “Thanks, I made it”? Or stared at a blank product description and typed “Handmade. 8 oz.” because anything more felt like bragging?

You’re not alone. So many of us can talk for an hour about another maker’s work, then go quiet about our own. Somewhere along the way, we decided the story behind what we make is extra. A nice-to-have. Maybe even a little salesy.

Here’s what we believe at Make [Her]Story: your story is not extra. It’s part of how the right people understand your work.

Why your story matters more than you think

Shoppers can find a candle, a mug, or a print almost anywhere. What they can’t find anywhere else is yours: the reason it exists, the care in how it’s made, and the moment it was made for.

That isn’t fluff. It’s the information that helps the right person say, “Oh, this is for me.”

And it doesn’t have to be dramatic. You don’t need a viral origin story or a tearful “how it all began” video. You need honest, specific words that sound like you.

The Work, The Why, The Bridge

This month, we’re keeping it simple with three parts:

• The Work: What do you make, offer, or help with? Say it plainly, the way you would to a friend at your table.
• The Why: What need, belief, or experience brought it into being? One true sentence is plenty.
• The Bridge: Who is it for, and what does it help them feel, do, or become?

Most of us lead with The Work and stop there. The real connection happens in The Bridge, the part that links what you make to the person who’s looking for it.

A quick before and after

Here’s an example from a made-up candle shop.

Before: “Handmade soy candle, 8 oz. Cotton wick. Lavender.”

After: “A slow, cozy candle for the first cold night you finally stay in. Hand-poured in small batches with soy wax and a cotton wick, because the best evenings are the unhurried ones.”

Same candle. Same facts. But now the shopper can picture herself on that cold night, and that’s what makes her pick it up.

Notice what didn’t change: the details are still there. Telling your story doesn’t mean hiding the facts. It means adding one line about the moment your work belongs in.

How to talk about your work without sounding salesy

• Talk to one person, not “everyone.” Picture a real customer and write to her.
• Be specific. “For slow Saturday mornings” says more than “perfect for any occasion.”
• Lead with care, not hype. Skip the “must-have” language and the stack of exclamation points.
• Say it out loud. If you wouldn’t say it at your market table, rewrite it until you would.
• Invite, don’t push. “If this sounds like you, I’d love for you to take a look” is enough.

Your move this month

Choose one offer or piece of work. Write one honest sentence about what it helps someone feel, do, or become. Then use it in one customer-facing place this month: your Instagram bio, a product page, your About page, or the sign on your market table.

Need a starting point? Try this: “I created this for the person who ___, because I believe ___.”

Don’t make your story bigger. Make it clearer. The right people are already looking for what you make, and your words help them find it. 💛

Ready to practice? Join our free Make [Her]Story Facebook group and share one sentence about your work. We’ll cheer you on, because we rise higher when we rise together.

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