My First Sales Call Didn't End Well
In fact, it ended with me being chased off a front porch.
I was about 10 years old. Armed with a large soda cup, a handful of roses, and enough confidence to start a Fortune 500 company, I set out on what I now consider my first official sales call.
My target?
Mrs. Page.
I rang her doorbell, proudly holding my inventory and fully prepared to close the deal.
The only problem?
The roses I was selling had come from her garden.
At the time, I thought I had everything figured out.
✅ Product? YES!
✅ Packaging? YES!
✅ Distribution Strategy? YES!
✅ Confidence? ABSOLUTELY!
What I lacked was a basic understanding of one important concept: knowing your customer.
As you might imagine, Mrs. Page was not impressed with my value proposition. In fact, she had a rather strong reaction to the idea of purchasing flowers that had recently been growing in her own flower bed.
Needless to say, the sales call did not end with a signed contract.
Looking back, it's one of the funniest memories from my childhood, but after spending more than three decades in sales, healthcare, conferences, and entrepreneurship, I've come to appreciate the lesson hidden inside that failed transaction.
Many people think sales is about convincing someone to buy something.
It isn't.
Sales is about creating value that another person actually wants and is willing to exchange something for.
That's where many products, services, and business ideas struggle. We become so excited about what we're offering that we forget to ask a critical question:
"Does this solve a problem for the person I'm talking to?"
In my ten-year-old mind, I was offering beautiful flowers.
In Mrs. Page's mind, I was attempting to sell her property back to her.
Those are two very different perspectives.
The older I get, the more I realize that successful sales conversations are less about talking and more about understanding. Whether you are selling healthcare products, conference sponsorships, educational programs, consulting services, or even a handful of roses, the principle remains the same.
Both parties must perceive value.
When that happens, trust develops, relationships form, and business naturally follows.
When it doesn't, well...sometimes you get chased off a porch.
It is funny how life works.
My passion for sales may have started with a flower, a soda cup, and a very unhappy neighbor. Thankfully, my sales strategies have improved a bit since then.
Although every now and then, when I'm developing a new idea or launching a new project, I still find myself asking:
"Would Mrs. Page buy this?"
If the answer is no, it may be time to rethink the value proposition.
That might be one of the most valuable sales lessons I have ever learned.
Traveling Saleslady Question of the Month:
What's the first entrepreneurial venture you remember trying, and what did it teach you?
I'd love to hear your story.
That's Road Notes from The Traveling Saleslady. This piece was shared as part of the Road Notes contributor series, featuring perspectives from sales professionals across industries. Explore more Road Notes stories on YouTube at The Traveling Saleslady or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Road Notes is a production of The Traveling Saleslady in partnership with Brilliant Beam Media.
