My first experience in sales was way back in my early teens in Ghana. At that time, my mum was running a bakery(don’t get me started on fresh bread!) and had this bread van, the salesperson and driver used.
On this very day, mum asked me to go along; I’m sure she wanted to expose her daughter in her own little way to the world of trading. The Van parked at this busy spot and the sales lady had this small bell she kept ringing to attract customers. I was to approach customers and get them to buy some bread. Was I scared? YES! to the bone. Well, I mustered up some courage and approached someone. My first prospect was an older lady who declined with a smile, which gave me the courage to go on to the next person. Some people bought bread from me that day and some didn’t. I heard a lot of “next time” from most folks.
For an introvert like me, approaching strangers is no easy task. Maybe my young age helped with the kind declines I got, I can’t really say for certain. But that day I learnt two vital lessons.
- Lesson 1: Approach every customer with a smile. It works magic in mos!
- Lesson 2: Don’t give up! Just keep at it. Some may buy, others won’t. Next time they might. At least they’ve been exposed to the brand. A thought process has begun, that could in turn kick-start a chain reaction of possible future calls which could lead to new affiliations, partnerships and also some referrals.
It is perfectly normal to be nervous, uncertain or even scared of approaching someone for the first time. it could even be someone familiar. for some people, sales comes naturally to them, while some of us have to work hard at it.
Guess what? Customers don’t bite! Just begin with a smile.
