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Thursday, June 16, 2011

"A Born Salesperson From The Start"

For as long as I can remember my mom and dad have told people that "Kathy can sell ice to an Eskimo".  As a child that never made sense to me, but as I grew into an adult I realized that there was a lot of truth to this statement.  My ability to sell began many years ago. 


When I think about my childhood memories I can remember being a go-getter. My sister and I were both involved with Brownies, and later Girl Scouts. Every year we would have our annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale.  Every Girl Scout was required to sell a certain number of boxes of the cookies. Just as they do now, you were required to sell cookies by placing orders with friends and relatives in advance. The cookies would arrive three or four weeks later and then you would distribute, deliver and collect the money. Well it never seemed to fail that my sister would get home from school before me and she would go through the neighborhood knocking on doors and trying to sell cookies ( or I should say place orders for cookies)

                      

 
By the time my bus had dropped me off at our house, she would have knocked on every door at least once. Now the truth be told she wouldn't show me her order sheet and it would detour me from going through the neighborhood myself because I didn't want someone to say "I've already been asked and bought from someone else." So when my parents would get home and they asked her how many boxes she had sold and she said "None!". My mouth dropped open in in amazement! I couldnt believe what I was hearing! I said, "What? You got home before me, knocked on everyone's door, offered the Girl Scout Cookies, and you didn't even sell ONE BOX?" Are you kidding? She would put her head down and mumble "No one was home and the people who were said they didn't want any!". Well this was all I needed to hear.

Without further ado, I grabbed my sales order log with color pictures of those oh-so-delicious Girl Scout Delights and I was out the door before it got dark. I hopped on my three-speed bike and pedaled to the first house. When the lady of the house opened the door I greeted her with my biggest smile ever, and with my best child like charm I asked her if she liked cookies. She said "Why yes I do, why do you ask?". And I jumped at the opportunity by saying, " I am selling Girl Scout cookies for my troop how many boxes would you like?". She looked at my sales order form with the pictures of all the choices and she ordered three boxes and asked me who she should write the check to? This gave me a great idea, I decided that I would sell them and get the money and that would make the delivery in three weeks that much easier!


Flower PoweredFor the next forty five minutes I rode that bike up and down the streets of our neighborhood and the neighborhoods surrounding ours. When I got home I had not only my order form but my sisters order form full of excited customers who could almost taste those cookies today as I described each one individually.  


You are probably wondering how I was able to do this and my sister could not. I believe the answer lies in my ability to sell myself.  To do this I had to believe in myself and the product that I was selling.  I love to set goals for myself and I put everything I have into hitting those goals.  A challenge is just an opportunity for me to step up to the plate and do my best with what God has blessed me with to achieve great things.  On my journey to a new me I have learned that there is nothing that I can't do once I set my mind to it.  I believe in myself and want to continue on until I hit my next goal of 75 pounds.  There are so many benefits that come with the the weight loss and I have sold myself on the idea that I can be healthy and fit.   

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