fourteen
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6 things I learned about sales when I was 14. Be authentic. I sold my first thing when I was 14. I had no sales training. I’d knock on doors and say this: “I will wash your car for $20.” No tricks. No fake urgency like, “This price is only valid today.” When you’re authentic, you build trust. And trust is why people choose you. Sell what you believe in. I used a product called RainX made water bead up on the windshield, making it easy to see when it rained. I loved that product. People were pleasantly surprised when it rained, which resulted in repeat customers. Be yourself. I’m introverted and soft-spoken. You don’t have to be an extrovert to sell. You don’t need unbridled enthusiasm. Be you. Identify the ideal customer. There’s always a subset of buyers that are your best buyers. I’d only knock on doors with nice cars. Detach from the outcome. When you’re attached to the sale, people can smell your commission breath. The less I cared about making the sale, the more sales I made. Ask for referrals When I was done washing the car, I’d ask this question: “Do you know one or two people in the neighborhood who might want their car washed?” Leveraging customers builds trust. “Hi Pete, I’m Josh. I wash Bob Cantor’s car. No pressure, but he thought you might be interested too.” |
Josh Braun
Saw a YouTube video raving about the egg salad sandwich from 7-Eleven in Japan. Then another.Then another. Apparently they sell out before 10:30 a.m. So I set an alarm.Walked past a Lawson.Past a Family Mart.Straight to 7-Eleven. Found one.Tried it.And yeah… they were right. Cold. Creamy. Silky eggs on soft white bread. Ridiculously good for something that costs less than a coffee. But here’s the thing. 7-Eleven doesn’t have to tell you its sandwich is amazing. They don’t run Instagram ads...
Jenna doesn’t like tempura. Too heavy. Too greasy. Too much batter. But in Kyoto, tucked into a narrow local spot with counter seating and no tourists in sight, she took a bite And didn’t stop until the bowl was empty. Sometimes it’s not the thing you don’t like. It’s how you’ve experienced it. The wrong version can ruin a dish, a book, a place, a person. The right version? Can change your mind entirely. Made me think. How many things have I written off too soon? How much joy have I missed...
In a quiet tea room in Tokyo, a phrase caught my eye before the ceremony even began: Ichigo Ichie “One time, one meeting.” A once-in-a-lifetime encounter. It’s a guiding principle of the Japanese tea ceremony. A reminder that no two moments are ever the same. Even if we sit with the same people, in the same room, drinking the same tea, the moment is already different. The weather. The mood. The version of ourselves we bring. Everything shifts. That’s why nothing is rushed. Every gesture is...