The school bell rang as the last of the stragglers squeaked through the doorway. The teacher closed the door and implored the raucous group of high school freshmen to settle down. Slowly the murmurs dissipated. The teacher cleared her throat and reminded us all of the assignment of the day. We’d all been asked to bring an item to class that day to present for auction. I’d completely forgotten.
One by one the teacher selected classmates at random and as their names were called each would shuffle to the front of the classroom, describe their items and attempt to drive up the bids. As my classmates gave their sales pitches, I searched frantically for something I could sell. I eventually pulled a tarnished penny from my pocket. That penny would go on to gross the highest offer of any item in the class that day.
I’m not telling you this story as proof of some crowning achievement. If I wanted to brag, I could do way better than a story about selling a penny for a few dollars. I wanted to tell you this story because it was a day that changed my life.
While I wasn’t able to retire at the ripe age of fifteen or buy the new car I wanted at the time with my take, I did learn several valuable lessons that day. The first lesson was to always be prepared. Secondly, always be confident even when you’re under pressure. Finally, it’s very rarely if ever about what you’re selling but rather how you sell it.
In the more than twenty years that have passed since that day, I’ve gone on to accomplish more than I could have ever dreamed. I’ve been nationally recognized in the field of marketing. I’ve broken company sales records in every role I’ve ever held, and I’ve turned countless clients into lifelong friends and believers along the way. If you’re interested, I encourage you to check out more on my ABOUT ME section.
