Selling isn't for everyone.
I'm sure you told yourself this last time you were forced to buy a car from a
sleazy guy in plaid as you whisper under your breath,
"Thank God, I don't have to do that for a living!"
So, I say, being a sales gal is tough.
(Selling takes kahunas...)
Even for a farmer.
Really? "What's so hard about putting up a white tent and selling produce?", you ask.
Let me tell ya...
It's perfecting the art of C U S T O M E R S E R V I C E,
to sell yourself first and your produce second.
Ya gotta put yourself out there.
Whaaat? No way. No one cares about that when all they're buying is a bunch of carrots.
Au contraire...
They do care.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT GROW SELL.
Case in point...
Yesterday I went to an Arts and Crafts Festival. There were vendors from all over the country selling jewelry, art, candles, forged iron, you name it.
It was the perfect venue to test this theory.
Imagine paying big bucks to set up in a well attended 3-day event, only to sit back, letting people casually walk by without ever making eye contact, let alone any effort to interact with them.
Unbelievably, I witnessed this!
(In fact, it was more often, than not.)
How in the world did these people make any money or meet their expenses to attend?
They looked like they couldn't be bothered.
Well, guess what? Neither could I.
If they weren't excited about what they had to sell, why would I be?
The only people that sold me anything were the ones engaging me in conversation about what they do, how they made what they made, what they brought as a special for the show, who asked ME questions, who took the time to talk,
and sell themselves, first.
It doesn't take rocket science to be nice.
There may be volumes written about sales tactics and catchy 3-lettered abbreviations to describe them
but there is a bottom line to all of it:
People buy from people.
This is a saying a former esteemed colleague used every day in his sales career.
And it works.