Selling -- The Fundamentals!

Every summer for years, our family vacationed in the small fishing village of Noank, Connecticut where my wife’s parents still live. On one visit I learned a lot about the community’s leading youth sales professionals.

Early one afternoon I visited the town park in the middle of Noank with my three youngest children: my son Sam, and his twin sisters Jillian and Kaitrin. Each of them sat in a swing. I pushed each in turn.

Behind the swing set, a black wrought iron fence enclosed the park. On the other side was the sidewalk and Main Street. On this hot summer afternoon two young entrepreneurs sat on the sidewalk selling lemonade. As I pushed my kids in the swings, I listened into the sales’ conversation.

I heard the oldest boy Mike (he looked about ten-years-old) say, “Let’s just go home. No one is buying. This is a complete waste of time.”

The younger boy, Tim (who looked about eight) said, “Yeah. We can drink the lemonade ourselves.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” replied Mike. “We paid for the fresh lemons. Let’s just put the lemonade in the refrigerator and try again tomorrow.”

As I listened I thought about how often sales people talk themselves out of doing business. We wait for the phone to ring and hope that somehow, without too much effort, business will find us. Just like my two soon-to-be-clients sat, hoping cars would stop and people would enthusiastically jump out, with smiles on their faces to purchase glasses of lemonade.

With a smile I asked across the fence, “So boys, how are your lemonade sales going today?”

Tim jumped up and moved toward me, “Not so well. It must be too hot.”

Mike nodded his head in agreement.

“Good news, guys,” I said. “I am a highly paid sales consultant and if you are interested I can help you sell out in 30 minutes guaranteed.”

Tim’s eyes lit up but Mike looked skeptical.

“Here is the deal,” I said. “My fee will be three small glasses of lemonade for my kids. I ask you a few questions and then you must promise to do exactly what I tell you to do. Deal?”

They agreed.

“Ok, first question. Why are you selling on this side of the street? You see cars stop on the other side of the street at the stop sign.”

Mike looked at me as if I was from another planet and I feared I was to be fired before I even got started. “Mister,” he said, “In case you hadn’t noticed the only shade tree on the street is right here.”

Like many sales people he prioritized pleasing methods over pleasing results. People, old and young, look for the easy way to sell. I could not help wonder how many of my sales people were sitting under their shade trees instead of taking initiatives and make things happen.

I convinced the boys to move to the other side of the street. The next step I told them was that when people stop at the stop sign you need to have a powerful message to get them to buy.

“Can you give me a fact about your lemonade?”

“It’s the best lemonade in Noank!” Mike shouted.

“That’s a claim. Give me a fact.”

Tim jumped in and hit the nail on the head. “It's fresh hand squeezed lemonade!”

“Now we’re talking! Now connect the fact to a need.”

“The ice-cold, hand-squeezed fresh lemonade will quench your thirst.”

“Good. Now all we need is to entice customers is a deal.”

Both boys quickly agreed that they would sell one glass for $1.25 or two glasses for $2.00.

With enthusiasm the young boys picked up their lemonade stand, walked across the street and started shouting to every car that stopped, “Ice-cold, fresh, hand-squeezed lemonade that will quench your thirst how many glasses do you want…

Of course, I made the small correction, “Say ‘do you want one or two glasses?’” They both smiled and within minutes they had created traffic jam on Main Street Noank.

I still laugh years later thinking about how excited the boys were when they sold out of their lemonade. They thanked me and gave me the remaining lemonade--a third of my fee (one glass) and ran home. Note to self - get your fee at the front end.

From selling lemonade to high tech computers to big and small equipment to Real Estate, to consulting projects the fundamentals never change:

• Do the right activity, in the right place.
• Communicate the benefit of your product, good or service.
• Tell how it will meet your customer’s need with enthusiasm and turn your frustration into real business results.