How to be Good in Sales

Once Upon A Time

I’m easy.

I mean if you tell me you will not buy from me, I’m cool with it. I will not pester you or badger you.  You will hear the end of it right there and then.  Promise.

But (sigh), these are not the traits of a master sales (wo)man, traits that, Robert Kiyosaki assures me, will make me very rich.

I think I want that.

You see, I had a bad experience when I was a kid.  My mother had a dry goods stall selling flowing dresses (at least that’s what they seemed to me) which she imports from Bangkok and socks and white shirts and other items which she imports from the US.  Enter customer who is interested in one of the dresses.  Talks to mom.  Enter young Issa who butts in and tells the customer about her other options (a bad idea).   Customer got confused and left without buying anything.  Issa got scolded and was scarred for life.  Now cannot sell anything.

Okay, I did sell the token raffle tickets, helped in the build-a-church fund raising activity (several), and when I was in a musical, twisted the arm of a grandfather to buy a full page of a souvenir program (he bought ¼).

But otherwise, no amazing or inspiring selling feat.  None.

Husband, on the other hand, drew for his classmates and charged them per art (he used carbon paper some of the time).  He sold bubble gum too.  His father before him sold newspapers.  My dad, on the other hand, manned a store at the wet market; my mom, her dry goods store.

No B.S. author Dan Kennedy who proclaims that he knows the secrets to magnetic marketing advocates the following techniques to gain ground in “selling”: Ignoring the word “No”, use of listening to influence people, process of personal packaging, using the positive power of negative preparation, avoiding contamination, proof through testimonials, keeping it simple and selling money at a discount.

Here are some more: a good sales person is one who builds relationships, answers his phone, does not make promises he cannot keep, listens to his customers, deals with complaints head on, is helpful even if there is nothing to gain, is always an expert, takes the initiative or goes the extra mile, is personally accountable, says “I will” and not “I will try”.

I think I can do that.

For some reason, my 9-year old daughter and her business partner (a neighbor who is younger) gets “selling” early on.  They pick up beads (shaped like fishes and stars and some crystals) from the floor of their ballet dance studio (yes, the floor) or on the road (what eagle eyes!), string these together to make bracelets or glue this to old pony tails that they wrap with ribbons.  She also asks me if she can sell stuff she never used – Hello Kitty purses and her unused watches (I drew the line at this).  I saw her take up her knitting sticks too – she said she is going to make something they can sell.  Well, they have yet to sell anything but I am amazed that she has the interest and the hunger to do this.  They have a plan too: they would peddle the goods around the subdivision in an implement that will go around their necks (kind of like a little show room) and sell the stuff to their friends, and the profits – well, they have not thought that far (but I suspect it will go to the neighborhood store).

I am amazed.  She has  proved to me that I need not have desperation to sell – sorry, but I always thought that was a main ingredient to selling effectively and so I was always hesitant (desperation scares me); that it is a game, and that it can be fun.

Maybe it is never too late.

Be rich,

Issa

Article by Issa. Mural by D and C. Copyright 2010.
Website: www.YouWantToBeRich.com
Email: issa@youwanttoberich.com

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