Friday, February 3, 2017

Creativity Tips: Practice the Art's of Salesmanship

Life is good. I walked into a local grocery store yesterday to pick up some salsa and a few other things for a new recipe. Now, you've never gone grocery shopping with me. It's not pretty. I am one of those shoppers who slows down the minute I walk into the store, and then wanders the aisles, looking at every single option. (Yes. I know how annoying this is to those of you in a hurry. I consider the grocery store a sanctuary. And I do try to move out of your way.)

But I digress. As I was standing there, staring at the 2,000 options, a man came up with a box of salsa and chips and other goodies and quickly restocked his area.

"You know what you want?" he said. (And it was a statement, not a question.) "You want Art's Mild Salsa. It is the best! The very best in town."

It was, of course, what he was restocking. But he was happy and friendly and sincerely enthusiastic about his company and their products.

"It's the best, huh?"

"Absolutely! The very best! And our chips and tortillas are the best too -- you won't find any better."

"What's the difference between the hot salsa and the mild salsa?" I asked, immediately willing to buy Art's and give it a try. I mean, how do you say no to super salsa enthusiasm? "Is the hot extra hot?"

"No, no! Not too hot. It's great!" He finished stocking the tortilla chips, stood up and grinned. "Tell you what, I'll pull the truck around in the parking lot and give you some samples. If you like 'em, you tell your friends!"

I like 'em. I'm telling my friends. Buy Art's.

Yes. He gave me all this stuff. 
I haven't tried it all, but what I have tried is delicious. 

Want the creativity/business tip portion of the post? The man is stocking grocery shelves. You may not consider that the most glamorous job on the planet. But he saw an opportunity to talk with a potential client and he seized it. And, in less than a minute, he turned that opportunity into future sales. Engaging, enthusiastic communication -- in print or in person -- works creative wonders. 


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