Reflecting on the Hot Seat

Its one thing to see others selling something, or even learning about it. However, when you are in the moment, selling is an entirely different animal. It is very easy to get caught up in the moment, talk to much, and ask the wrong questions. For my sales pitch, I chose to pitch the company Square to an investor. The beginning of the pitch was successful; I asked Liv what her purpose of meeting with me was and what type of investing she she usually chose. I got to understand that she wanted a company with good leadership and profitability. I responded well to her question of leadership by describing Square CEO Jack Dorsey and his selflessness with regards to his companies and his 1 Billion dollar Covid-19 relief donation. However, things took a terrible swing when Liv mentioned that she leaned towards the right-wing on the political scale, and she did not like that Dorsey was a leftist or the way he testified in Congress. I was able to sneak my way out of this trap by asking Liv if she has seen this have any political affect on his companies, and she said she did not know the company Square well enough. This is a moment that I clearly could have taken advantage of, but I took the wrong approach. Instead of informing her about how Dorsey was very bitcoin focused and describing his business-focused approach (rather than a political one), I could have kept Liv talking. She said that she did not know the company Square,  but I believe that she had likely been affiliated with their products (such as Cash App and the square terminals at restaurants) without even knowing it. This approach would have allowed me to avoid the political trap, help Liv learn more about her own experience, and keep her talking. Ultimately, selling can be tough in the moment, but we can learn from our experiences as we go.