When I walked into Sales in the Startup last Wednesday, I expected our everyday sales lessons. Maybe some improvising in class and reviewing and practicing the Sandler rules to selling. I had no idea that something much more exciting, competitive, and a little nerve-racking was in store; we would be getting up out of the classroom to sell in real life. What were we selling? Ducks! Ducks for the “Ducky Derby” race hosted by the ABT sorority to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. We broke off into teams, and in less than ten minutes after sitting down in class, we were out the door to put what we’ve learned into practice.
To be honest, my first thought was to find people I knew, making it more comfortable to approach them and try to earn a sale. This did work for about the first ten minutes of this challenge, but I soon realized it was time to step out of my comfort zone and open the horizon to anyone who was around me. Once I got over that hurdle, my new challenge was that nearly everyone I talked to had already been approached multiple times by my peers. For a few of these instances, I encouraged the prospects that the more ducks they purchased, the greater chances they had at winning a prize, along with their increased support for breast cancer awareness. I also tried to phrase everything as a question, such as, “When was the last time you supported breast cancer awareness?”, or “How important is breast cancer awareness to you?”. I worked to more so sell “breast cancer awareness” rather than rubber ducks that are seemingly of little value. This challenge was a great experience and honestly very fun. It’s crazy how much we were able to sell as a class in just 40 short minutes, raising close to $1000. It made me realize how valuable getting out and putting everything into real life practice by selling first-hand is one of the best teachers and learning experiences when it comes to selling. So, why not go for it?
BoweryJE22