The Accidental Salesman

People always ask me how I got started with my present company and what would I do if I was getting started today.

Here is the answer . . .

Note: The names of the company and the products have been changed or omitted to keep this generic and to protect the innocent 🙂

It was in November of 1990. I had just come off an experience with another company where I was just starting to see some success when the company suddenly went out of business. And I do mean suddenly! I was on the phone with them one day, and the next day they were out of business! With no warning!

That threw me for a loop, especially because I had been promoting it and had already approached all of my friends about it.

Needless to say, I wasn’t too keen about getting involved with another company when a friend of mine asked me to take a look at another Network Marketing opportunity.

But, just to be polite, I looked at the information. The products looked interesting. I could see that there were a number of products that I used regularly anyway. I was just using different brands.

But the one thing that really caught my attention was the fact that the company had been around for a VERY LONG TIME!

I immediately thought that if this company was that old, it must be doing something right and the chances of it going out of business had to be really low.

So I signed up.

At that time it cost $79.95 to join and you received a small selection of products with your membership.

I remember unpacking the box when it arrived and pulling out a tin of what I’ll call “Super Salve”. I had no idea what “Super Salve” was or what it was used for other than what I read on the tin. We never had “Super Salve” in my house when I was growing up and I had never heard of anyone I knew using it.

So I put the tin of “Super Salve” on a shelf in my closet and thought, “This is something that I’m probably going to own for the rest of my life.”

So I was ready to start my new Business . . . but I didn’t know what to do.

I had already burned through all of my friends and family with my last business so I certainly wasn’t going to approach any of them. I didn’t know much about paid advertising and didn’t have the money to try it anyway. The internet didn’t even exist then so that wasn’t even an option.

And besides, I didn’t know if this new business was even going to work for me or not.

So I came up with a plan. I wanted proof that this new business was going to work and that people would actually buy these products.

So I decided I wasn’t going to tell anyone about it!

Unless, of course, they asked me about it.

So my plan, as silly as it sounds today, was to put a catalog in my hand and carry it with me everywhere I went.

That was it! No approaching people, no bothering people, not even bringing up the subject.

I decided that this company was going to have to prove itself to me before I was going to lift one finger to try to build a business.

So I started carrying the catalog with me, not saying a word about it.

Much to my surprise, I got some interest almost right away. Someone said, “What is that you’ve got there?” and I let them look at the catalog.

Another person said, “That company! I thought they were out of business.” so I showed them the catalog.

On the third day a man said, “That company! I haven’t seen them in years! Do they still have that “Super Salve?”

I answered, “Yes, they do, and I just happen to have some at home if you would like to buy one.”

He bought it! That was my first sale! An accidental sale!

But that was the proof I needed.

That’s how I got started. I continued to carry a catalog with me and I continued to make sales.

Once I saw the proof and believed in my mind that this new business really worked and I could do it, it got easier and easier to do.

Is that what I would do if I was starting today?

Yes, ABSOLUTELY!

And I would add to it in way that I’ll explain to you in another newsletter.

Let your company prove itself to you and learn to believe that you can do it.

Once you have that belief, there is no limit as to what you can do!

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