WHY YOU NEED TO TEACH YOUR KIDS HOW TO SELL
A few days ago a kid turned up on my doorstep selling chocolate to raise money for his school\’s basketball team. This kid, his team\’s star player, looked like he was being tortured. He may have been able to shoot hoops but he couldn\’t make a sale if his life depended on it. It was painful to watch. He didn\’t understand the product; he hadn\’t got a clue regarding delivery and was unable to tell me exactly what my money would be going towards.
Now this kid might be a basketball genius but because nobody had taken the time to explain to him what he was doing and how to do it effectively, he was being set up to fail. I was heart-broken.
If you set your kids up to hate sales, their life will be super challenging. Selling is an essential life skill. Without it, they will be crippled. Every day when we go out to work we sell our products, our expertise, and ourselves as a brand. You don\’t want your kid to be set up to hate selling otherwise you will be sending them out into the world unprepared.
You will have failed them.
The beauty of sales is that you can teach your kids how it works in a fun environment; while they manage a lemonade stand, or like the basketball kid, by selling chocolate door-to-door to raise school funds. Your teaching should include these six essential components:
1. Speak in a clear, confident voice.
2. Look the customer in the eye (and smile!).
3. Know their subject matter (What are you selling? What do you get for the money?).
4. And the benefits of the purchase (“My school gets to go to…” “I\’m raising money for…”).
5. Find an element of joy or ease (This will translate into every job they ever have).
6. Gratitude for action/support/being a customer (“Thank you for your purchase, Thanks for your help).
The Girl Scouts have analyzed the vital life skills that selling cookies helps them to achieve. Simply put, they learn goal-setting, decision-making, people skills, money-management and business ethics.
Selling is as natural as breathing. Teach your children to love sales, and you will have set them up for success for the rest of their lives.
I hope you find this helpful for you, your family and your children’s future success. Let me know how it goes, we can discuss it over a piece of chocolate or a cup of lemonade!
