My first sales job was selling Girl Scout Cookies door-to-door and it was the best sales training I ever received. Little did I know then, that selling was about serving and helping others.
There are a few principles that I learned in selling cookies that are core to my DNA today!
1. The Law of Success
Your success is determined by how many people you serve. Since my goal was to sell more cookies than I did the year before, I knew I had to knock on more doors than I did the year before. Not much different today…
2. The Law of Influence
Be friendly and not letting the grumpy ones get you down. It sure was fun, then and now, when I sold something to someone who was initially grumpy. Kindness goes a long way.
3. The Law of Authenticity
My neighbors knew my awesome pop, my sisters, and my school and they enjoyed meeting the baby of the family…gotta luv the baby!
You rock Girl Scouts – Here’s to another 100!
Good read on the subject: Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann, nicely defines influence and success in their best-selling book. http://www.thegogiver.com/