Elise’s Top 3 Non-sales Sales

I’ve never wanted to be a salesperson, much less considered myself one. I never sold Girl Scout cookies, or got really involved in any school fundraisers, and I was totally okay with that (I did actually want to sell Girl Scout cookies, but only because I thought I could get free cookies).
However, as we’ve been going over the concept of non-sales selling in class, I’ve been reflecting on some of the “selling” that I’ve done in my life—there’s a lot more than I would have thought! So in honor of all my previously unappreciated sales, I have decided to compile a list of what I believe are my top three non-sales… sales. Here we go!

#3. Selling an idea
My dad and I often like to enjoy a movie together on the rare quiet nights that happen in our family. I like pretty much any kind of movie, but his favorite are, of course, war movies. So one warm night in the summer of 2022, I said to my dad, “Hey Dad, we should watch 1917.”
And he was like, “No that’s not going to be good”
Which is ridiculous and objectively wrong because 1917 is quite possibly one of the best movies ever, but I digress. So instead of accepting defeat, I worked to convince him that no, 1917 is actually great and yes, we should watch it. Needless to say, the operation was a success, and after the movie my dad gave the movie the highest praise a dad is physically able to give.
He said, “Wow. That was actually pretty good.” Of course it was good. I suggested it. Regardless, in convincing my dad to watch one of the most masterful pieces of cinema ever created, a good sale (of a great idea) was made that day.

#2. Selling oneself
One aspect of non-sales selling that I am realizing we regularly do as people is that of selling ourselves (not in a weird way. Stay with me). And what better example of selling yourself than an audition?
This past fall, I auditioned for Fiddler on the Roof, which was possibly one of the most successful self-sales I’ve ever made. During an audition you have to a) introduce yourself, b) recite your monologue, and c) (if the production is a musical) sing an excerpt of your chosen song. In doing these things, you have to sell your audience on your being able to speak (confidently), act, and sing. My Fiddler audition was quite possibly my best audition ever and was definitely a successful sale, seeing as it got me the role of Yente the Matchmaker!

#1. Selling an experience
Out of all of the non-sales sales I’ve made in my life, I think my best one was convincing my parents that I should get a dog. This sale took years. I started my convincery at probably 13 and with three years and hundreds of mentions of having a sweet, fluffy, cuddly little puppy, finally, finally, got the OK for a dog at 16. His name is Winston and he is the sweetest but also most attention-demanding being on the earth.
Now sure, some of this was selling an idea, but it was also selling an experience. Don’t you want to cuddle with a cute doggy? Don’t you want to have something soft to pet when you’re sad? Don’t you want to look into his huge brown eyes and tell him you love him so much even though he peed on your beanbag right after you took him outside? Maybe not that last part. But! The experience!
My mom did not want a dog. She did not want one at all. She is Winston’s favorite and sometimes I think he may be her favorite child. That is a good sale.
I would also like to give an honorable mention to the act of selling myself on doing my homework—this is an incredibly hard job and must be done multiple times a day. It is very similar to convincing a toddler to eat their vegetables, but like a parent, I feel great victory any time I succeed.

This concludes Elise’s top three non-sales sales.