I find that my article or blog writing runs to analogies because I learn and retain by example. Learning to sell a product is a curve with many steps to reaching a platform where you are comfortable, but also one that must meet needs in which the customer is interested.
It does not matter what you are selling because the first thing you are selling is yourself. People buy from pleasant people. They may buy once from an offensive or disagreeable individual, but you will see very little in the returning queue. If you have a product to sell, ‘suck it up, buttercup’ and learn to be agreeable.
Okay, now that everyone is smiling because the rest have left the room, let’s hear an example of presentation.
We’re in the book business, and we’ll come back to that, but I’m hoping you’ll get the point before I finish the following example.
Let’s start with discarded, unwanted bits of this and that, and plop the jumble on a table in the midst of a craft fair. You are led to a table, off to the left, that has ‘trash’ to the uneducated eye, told this stuff has been around for many craft encounters, will not sell, but, this is your table for today. How do you react?
Do you go into I’m doomed before I start mode: Nobody wants this garbage. I am surrounded by newer and better things. No one is looking at my table, it’s not good enough. I can’t do this. Why did I agree? Or,
The Blame Game mode? They put me into this position of failure. It’s their fault, I’m failing at selling. My product sucks, and it’s because someone beat me to the market. Both of these postures come with major, disagreeable attitudes. Or,
Do you assess the needed damage control, dig through the mess, clean it up, repackage, put it back on the market, and be pleasing to your customers.
The pile of junk has gems waiting to sparkle in the display. After removing all items from the table, taking the several large fabric discards, one in navy and another of sky blue to cover the old folding table, overlapping, but both colors showing, and anchoring to the ends of the table legs.
Next, place a faux-depression glass, decorative pedestal glass bowl, using it as a centerpiece. Surround it by other precious pieces of crockery from one of a kind, aside a set of five and another of seven – no make that four and six, but when those sell, bring up those one of a kind or the replacement piece your customer has searched for all over. It is here! Now adorn the bowl with a white Cascading Scarf, letting it trail with a tail. The scarf has waves upon which the tiny, Christmas ornaments of old will float down including, to the tail.
Arrange other fare into a space they can call their own. Finally, take all the poor, sad, lonely toys, awaiting a child's precious love, and arrange them on the nearest end to the entry door with a Free Toys to Good Home sign, pinned to the cloth.
Items were priced in a range the public would pay for a like product, and the seller was willing to negotiate and was open to the customer’s needs. This is a given, always.
Everything on that table needed cleaning, needed proper arrangement, needed a niche. The decision is either walking away in disgust or seeing a challenge and meeting it.
How does your book fare? Does it need a positive critical eye, dusting off, sprucing up, and finding the right place to showcase? Will you walk on, abandoning the old, for something newer? Or…?
Everything on that table sold or was adopted.
And, on today’s net table nothing is forgotten, but can be made better for the net.
It does not matter what you are selling because the first thing you are selling is yourself. People buy from pleasant people. They may buy once from an offensive or disagreeable individual, but you will see very little in the returning queue. If you have a product to sell, ‘suck it up, buttercup’ and learn to be agreeable.
Okay, now that everyone is smiling because the rest have left the room, let’s hear an example of presentation.
We’re in the book business, and we’ll come back to that, but I’m hoping you’ll get the point before I finish the following example.
Let’s start with discarded, unwanted bits of this and that, and plop the jumble on a table in the midst of a craft fair. You are led to a table, off to the left, that has ‘trash’ to the uneducated eye, told this stuff has been around for many craft encounters, will not sell, but, this is your table for today. How do you react?
Do you go into I’m doomed before I start mode: Nobody wants this garbage. I am surrounded by newer and better things. No one is looking at my table, it’s not good enough. I can’t do this. Why did I agree? Or,
The Blame Game mode? They put me into this position of failure. It’s their fault, I’m failing at selling. My product sucks, and it’s because someone beat me to the market. Both of these postures come with major, disagreeable attitudes. Or,
Do you assess the needed damage control, dig through the mess, clean it up, repackage, put it back on the market, and be pleasing to your customers.
The pile of junk has gems waiting to sparkle in the display. After removing all items from the table, taking the several large fabric discards, one in navy and another of sky blue to cover the old folding table, overlapping, but both colors showing, and anchoring to the ends of the table legs.
Next, place a faux-depression glass, decorative pedestal glass bowl, using it as a centerpiece. Surround it by other precious pieces of crockery from one of a kind, aside a set of five and another of seven – no make that four and six, but when those sell, bring up those one of a kind or the replacement piece your customer has searched for all over. It is here! Now adorn the bowl with a white Cascading Scarf, letting it trail with a tail. The scarf has waves upon which the tiny, Christmas ornaments of old will float down including, to the tail.
Arrange other fare into a space they can call their own. Finally, take all the poor, sad, lonely toys, awaiting a child's precious love, and arrange them on the nearest end to the entry door with a Free Toys to Good Home sign, pinned to the cloth.
Items were priced in a range the public would pay for a like product, and the seller was willing to negotiate and was open to the customer’s needs. This is a given, always.
Everything on that table needed cleaning, needed proper arrangement, needed a niche. The decision is either walking away in disgust or seeing a challenge and meeting it.
How does your book fare? Does it need a positive critical eye, dusting off, sprucing up, and finding the right place to showcase? Will you walk on, abandoning the old, for something newer? Or…?
Everything on that table sold or was adopted.
And, on today’s net table nothing is forgotten, but can be made better for the net.