What I learned from being a salesman for a week

I became a salesman for a week, and I had so much fun!

I’m not a natural salesperson type who gets along easily and motivates (is that the word?) people to buy stuff, so when I first started (in 100L), I failed. Horribly.

I started selling in 100L after I decided I wanted to start making money. 

I thought of a business idea that I thought was nice, and settled on fans. So I kick-started, my parents were supportive, I did a promotional video, sent it to class group, and low-and-behold, after the whole hullabaloo I sold only 1 fan. 1! 

I just gave up. 

2 year later, this year, I was telling my mum and siblings about how I hadn’t finished selling off all those fans. My sister, who I like to call a veteran business woman because of how much into business she is, laughed. 

She and my mum said that the weather was pretty hot and fans were in high demand so how had I not sold them? I was just looking.

Then my sister told me about how everyone in her school had been asking her where she got her own hand fan from and how useful she found them. She said that if I didn’t want to sell them, she could help me. 

Then I decided to give it another shot. If it messed up this time (it would not.), I would give her.

The solution to my lack of salesmanship came via a beautiful book I was reading at the time, “The Winning Attitude” by John Maxwell. 

In this book, Maxwell talks about the importance of a positive attitude towards life and how it could help elevate perspective and improve your life. He gave practical steps and examples towards building a winning attitude, and reading it, I felt refreshed and renewed because I realized how much power I had over my moods and emotions when I chose to think positively. 

When I got back to school, I started to feel a little more confident about this fan business. Before I eventually launched out, I got a couple more sales tips from influencers in my school who post sales tips on their WhatsApp statuses. On one status, I read about about how in business, people often by the emotion connected with a product, not really the product. That is, they buy a feeling. And that’s what you should sell, that feeling. 

For instance, if someone sells perfumes, their product isn’t really a bottle of perfume, it is confidence. A smell that could make a customer confident. (this is the example that was given)

In my case though, I was selling fans. Fans serve as a protection/a solution to the heat. They give a cooler life. I was selling a solution to the heat. 

As I thought about it, my perspective shifted. I wasn’t just another trader selling another thing, no. I was a beautiful seller selling a cooler, less stressful, easier life. Everything seemed more lively. 

From another influencer’s status, i read about how important trust and good customer service were. Trust, I read, was going to put customers at ease with whatever product you sold. It’d prove that I wasn’t just any regular person, I was an established businessman. I also read about how the importance of quality customer service. If a trader has recurring issues with customers, often, the problem isn’t with the customers, it’s with the trader. 

I got the cue to open a WhatsApp business account and I made it look professional with a catalogue. 

With these tips, lots of positive affirmations that I repeated to myself daily, I got selling.

…And I was shocked at the result 😂. 

One week later, I was sold out. I didn’t have much, just a few.

I’ve learnt to appreciate the beauty of business and marketing. It could be difficult or intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be so. I’ve realized that it all depends on outlook. 

In the bad, it won’t always be that way. In the good, well, it’s good. 

I have enjoyed marketing. However, I’m not so sure if I want to continue selling fans, all I know that I want to get more involved in marketing. Maybe, who knows, do a few more projects.

Before I go, I had a little situation at the end that I want to share. 

A fan that I sold did not work properly. I was shocked. I didn’t know what to do. This fan was new, cha cha tear rubber, but the battery part was dysfunctional. 

The person I had sold it to was asking questions and I did not know what to say. 

Asper quality business man, I kept telling this person that I was sorry and that everything would be fine. And that I was going to replace it.

It was difficult being positive during that time, but at the end of the day, we thank God. 

I replaced the fan, and all went well. 

Hopefully I never encounter such ish’s again 🙏🏾!