Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Don't fear the salesperson!

Why did I used to fear the door to door salesman? I learned at a young age that you HIDE when a salesman or the Jehovah’s witnesses come around. Yes, hide. My family would hang out in a room away from the front of the house until they left! So I was taught to FEAR the salesman! It’s kind of funny to think about now. What an odd reaction! What is so scary about talking to someone and just listening and saying “I’m sorry, I’m not interested”?

Now that I am working from home and am “selling” an idea to people, I actually am NOT afraid of sales people and I find the various techniques and tactics fascinating! I love people watching anyways, so if you look at sales like an intricate dance or “mating ritual” it’s way more fun!

A salesman came to my door last night - poor guy. The humidity level around here is like 100%. He was wearing a "uniform" of khakis and polo shirt, looked “soggy” with sweat, and was holding a limp packet of papers in his hand. He asked if I was the homeowner. I copped out and said "no" - which is true, I rent from my dad who lives a block away but I didn't tell him that. All I said was "no" and he left. I am kicking myself now because I COULD have been a decent human being and offered the poor guy a glass of water, for one thing. Then I could have offered him my card, since what I do is SO much better then schlepping around in this heat going door to door and trying to sell windows! My parents didn't even answer the door for the poor guy. My point about this is - I legitimately feel bad for the guy. He was just a fellow human being trying to make a living and most people won't even open their door to him! He's sweating his butt off and meeting rejection after rejection after rejection. I could have at least given him some refreshment, and told him about how I have learned to work from home (and I think it is better than walking around door to door sweating your butt off!)

Another sales person I remember is a kid that struck up a conversation with me when I worked a retail job at an electronics store. He chit chatted for a bit, then complimented my communications skills, and mentioned that his company could use people like me! I made an appointment to meet with his boss that week. So we met at a coffee place, his boss looked about as old as he did (they seemed “fresh” like college kids!), and as the “interview” unfolded I realized they were trying to get me to sell dialup internet access! I was really depressed and felt sort of “tricked”. I thought it was a “job”. I was looking for a “job”.

Now that I think about it, I STILL remember that incident, and am actually impressed at how the kid worked that situation. I do not believe he was lying to me through the complimenting – I am a people person and I DO have good communication skills! I WOULD have been good at selling internet access to people. It’s just that – I was not open to that type of opportunity at the time. I wanted a “job”. I had never considered working from home! Now – well, I might have listened! It’s kind of funny that I am doing something so much like what he offered me back then, and I was horrified! Now I am impressed at his people skills!

You can always learn from sales people – good or bad. It’s kind of fun to realize what they are doing, let them take you for the ride, and see where you end up. It’s also fun to turn around and tell them how good they are at selling and you could use someone like them! I see it as a control issue – if you watch and learn and see every human interaction as an opportunity for something, you don’t have to be afraid about what’s going to happen. Whatever happens, you learned something. Let them sell!
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