How I Got Started in Sales & the Simple, Game-changer I Learned

When I got an after-school job at an apartment leasing agency, my fate was sealed. I was in high school, and I thought it was the best. job. ever. And truly, it was. I got to meet with people and learned how to show apartments - and I made commission. My 17-year-old self had hit the BIG time.

I’ve been in sales ever since. Depending on my mood, it either feels like a blessing, (because I get to support my family doing what I love), or a curse, (because sales is hard 99% of the time).

Between then and now, I’ve sold cars, gym memberships, magazine ads, and lots, and lots, (and LOTS!) of consulting services.

I sold cars for a hot minute. It was miserable, for all of the reasons you’d expect and then a few more.

We used an ‘up’ system, which meant that when someone came in, they were assigned to whoever was up next, and whoever that was had to be johnny-on-the-spot. It also meant that whenever someone came in, a salesperson practically sprinted for them.

I was the only woman. And I am not a runner. I also like to think of myself as relatively dignified, so clawing my way to the front of the line like an overeager Labrador is just not my bag.

To get around the race, I picked up a copy of the classifieds and called everyone who was selling a car. I told them if they were selling a car they might be thinking of buying a car but were worried about trade-in prices. If that was the case, they should come in and ask for me.

And they did.

Folks were so happy to talk to a normal, non-aggressive person who wasn’t trying to trick them into anything. By the second month, I was selling more cars than anyone participating in the up system. (I was bested only by a seasoned vet who had come up with his own clever way to bring clients in.)

I learned so much from this simple lesson.

*Clever beats fast.

*If you can’t beat the game, change it.

What about you? What early career job meant the most for you and what have you learned from the bad ones?