The Value of Good Salesmanship: A Teen's Perspective

Honestly, when I started working at the Farmers Market I was mostly focused and excited about the opportunity to make some money.  For that, I knew I would have to perform some tasks to earn it.  However, I had no idea how valuable the experience would be for me, both personally and professionally.

Austin Hall assists in Sales for Woodsong Herbs

Personally the experience has helped me to both test and challenge my ability to communicate with people of all ages, cultures and experiences.  As a teen I believed that my age limited my ability to get adults to want to listen and engage with me in conversation.  Through this experience I have found it to be completely the opposite.  In fact, they were extremely kind and interested in what I had to say and share.  It really boosted my confidence.  I realized that my age had nothing to do with it.  It all had to do with how I was communicating.  I found that my passion and belief not only in myself, but in the products/services I was selling at the market made the biggest difference.  I was actually enjoying the process as I worked and I appreciated the new relationships I was establishing with the market patrons (customers) as they would visit my booth week after week.

As my communication skills developed and improved, my confidence soared, and so did my sales!  I realized that I had an innate ability to effectively communicate with people and engage them in conversation.  People smiled at me, complemented me, and were responding positively to my words and body language.  It was a benefit of the job I was not expecting.

I realized that professionally I was developing and refining my sales skills.  Which are skills I will use and take into any job, career and relationship I enter into for the rest of my life.  By listening to my customers and recognizing their needs and doing a good job of explaining things to them, I was practicing good “salesmanship.”  No matter what career I pursue as an adult I will always be involved in some form of sales because sales is really all about effective communication.  If you can communicate you can engage people and get them interested and vice versa and from there forge a relationship.  I learned that being a good salesman is not just about making the “sale” or “meeting your numbers”, indirectly in business that does matter, but more importantly it’s about the relationship you forge with your customers and co-workers.  If your customers “trust" you and you are in tune with what they want and need and you know that because you “listen” and are “aware” and you can provide it, you will not only make the sale, you will also gain “loyalty” from that customer.  The relationship has  to be mutually beneficial and that’s what matters most.  As my parents say a lot “win/win”.



I also noticed that people like to be around happy people, it’s viral.  Having confidence, and being passionate when I communicate is just as important as the words I use.  Body language is communication without words, and having “open” body language is much more positive than folded arms and a “standoffish” attitude.  Combining good communication and open body language attracts people and offers me the opportunity to talk to them.  I also learned that asking the right questions is really important because people don’t like to waste their time, so making sure they have time and are interested is a great way show and gain respect.  Rejection is part of the process too, but it doesn’t bother me so much, because I know there will be another person that will be interested.

I have discovered that when you are “selling” you are not only selling a product or service, you are selling yourself.  Having good sales skills and learning them while I am young will give an advantage in life, because no matter what I choose to do in my life I will be “selling” myself in some capacity and being able to do it well and effectively will increase my potential for success.

Now, when I go to work I don’t really focus on the money, but on the job and how I might improve my skills to maintain and develop my relationships with my customers and co-workers, and the money will follow.

Austin, 18 – Sonoma State College