An A for Elise??

We’ve learned a lot about sales this semester. We learned the ABC’s of sales, we learned how to find the pain, we learned about the Sandler rules and seagulls and reverses and more. And most importantly, we learned that we can use these things in more than just sales scenarios. I think the concept of non-sales selling is one of the most useful things we discussed.

And because I learned so much, I think I would like to try one more non-sales sell, because I think I should get an A in this class.

Now, I don’t want to advertise my A-deservance; I want to sell it. And to do that, I need to have a conversation. Unfortunately, it’s 12 AM, and I don’t think Professor Sweet would appreciate it if I called him up at this hour. So I have taken the liberty of writing my own dialogue. You’re welcome, Professor.

Me: Hi Professor. I bet you’re wondering why I’ve called you here today.

Sweet: Hey Elise. What can I help you with?

Me: Well Professor, I’ve actually got a few questions I was hoping you could answer for me, if you’ve got time.

Sweet: Sure thing.

Me: What does it take for students to get an A in your class?

Sweet: Well, I don’t ask a lot of my students. I know they’ve got a lot going on, but I would say that if you do the reading, pay attention in class, and turn assignments in on time, it’s not too hard to get an A. Why do you ask?

Me: I just want to clarify. And to be honest, I really came here today to ask if you’ve thought of giving me an A in Sales.

Sweet: Well Elise, I love when you visit my office, but getting an A is really the student’s responsibility. Do you think you deserve an A?

Me: Well sure. I come to class, I pay attention and take notes, I do my reading, and I always get assignments in eventually.

Sweet: Sounds like you’re on the right track. Why are you worried?

Me: Well, I don’t always get my assignments in on time. This very blog post is late.

Sweet: I see. Well, if you worried about late assignments, why do you think you deserve an A?

Me: That’s a great question, but I’m really curious what you think. What do you think about my blog posts?

Sweet: They always give me a laugh. And they’re usually pretty in-depth, even if they’re late.

Me: Good! I love writing a good, detailed post. In fact, the reason they’re often late is because I take a lot of time making sure I write something worthwhile. Although, it’s kind of my fault for not planning out my time well, huh?

Sweet: Well, I know things happen.

Me: They sure do. But do you think detailed blog posts are worth credit even if they’re late?

Sweet: I’d have to think about that.

Me: Professor, that’s all I ask. And while you do that, I’ll focus on studying for that final.

Sweet: Sounds great.

This conversation concludes my blog posts for Sales in the Startup of spring 2025.