I have discovered that I have a Very Odd Skill.
By The Horse
@TheHorse (238280)
Walnut Creek, California
March 20, 2021 3:52pm CST
One of the things I like about getting "older" is that my "don't give a sh*t" is gradually increasing. But, oddly, the offense I take at corporate greed, and the manipulativeness of advertising and sales in general, is also increasing. Ads on the radio and TV piss me off.
So what Odd Skill have I discovered? I am good at SALES! I was recently hired by "Corporate" (Guitar Center) to give guitar and piano lessons. I enjoy giving music lessons of any kind, but during my "down time," I hang out in the acoustic guitar room at Guitar Center.
My "rap" is "I'm just a teacher here, but let me know if I can help you in any way." Several times, I have said, "Let me play that guitar you're checking out, so you can hear it as a listener, as well as a player." Then I say, "Play the guitars you're most interested in, and I'll tell which I think sound best in your arms."
I am a self-proclaimed ex-hippy, and not a sales guy, but I am batting almost 1.000 in sales! Almost every time I do this, I sell a guitar. Today, it was a really nice $700 Taylor guitar.
Have you ever discovered an odd skill you didn't know you had? I don't want to be a "pawn" of "corporate," but if I can sell stuff I really believe in, I guess I'm OK with that.
23 people like this
17 responses
@kaylachan (84736)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
20 Mar 21
If you're selling something you believe in, I don't think that makes you a pawn. At any rate, I've got annoyingly good hearing. It's always been chocked up to blindness, but I sometimes can hear sounds that others cannot. So I guess that counts.
4 people like this
@kaylachan (84736)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
20 Mar 21
@TheHorse I haven't done anything music-related since high school. Well, Okay so I sing to the radio sometimes.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238280)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Mar 21
@kaylachan Do you enjoy singing?
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
21 Mar 21
I've read your posts for a while. I would say sales is natural because you are a connected speaker. You connect with people in your conversation.
that is all sales really is. We buy from people we like and trust.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (238280)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Mar 21
@DocAndersen Heh. Some of my friends in Santa Barbara were fellow researchers, so we always joked that the others had to "properly cite us" when we thouht we'd said something clever.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
21 Mar 21
@TheHorse of course you may and you don't have to cite me. I am going to start using yours though and I will cite you that is a great one!
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
21 Mar 21
Do you get a sales commission?
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
21 Mar 21
@TheHorse Wouldn't hurt to ask, I guess.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238280)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Mar 21
@BarBaraPrz I had a good conversation today with a fellow teacher who used to be involved in sales. We discussed what we called the "low pressure" method.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208801)
• United States
21 Mar 21
Hey, good for you...I haven't ever worked in sales really other than telemarketing at which, I wasn't great. i might be better in real life as I am fairly personable. My dad worked in sales and was pretty good at it.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
20 Mar 21
Good for you! I've never been good at sales until I had a part time job a few years ago doing product samples in Walmart. I actually sold a lot of paper towels and laundry detergent. Who knew?
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
21 Mar 21
@TheHorse It was cool to find I could sell stuff. But I never lied about the product. I just played up the good parts.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238280)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Mar 21
@1creekgirl It's an interesting business. I'll say more after I've "sold" a few more guitars.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (122105)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
20 Mar 21
I have discovered my talent of writing satire pieces of pro wrestling companies like WWE and AEW who appeal to younger audiences who do not remember when lady wrestlers dressed decently and not like bad girls on the street.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (238280)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Mar 21
@Deepizzaguy I don't watch that particular product, but it has a pretty broad appeal or it would not exist.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (122105)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
21 Mar 21
@TheHorse Me too since today's product is bad with too much showboating.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222285)
• United States
21 Mar 21
They should give you a commission. You're a natural.
2 people like this
@marguicha (230334)
• Chile
20 Mar 21
My skills are diminishing. But the older I get, the less I care for them.
2 people like this
@rebelann (117211)
• El Paso, Texas
24 Mar 21
Hmmmm, ex hippie?? Didn't know anyone could be an ex, I'm still one in many ways.
@wolfgirl569 (135643)
• Marion, Ohio
21 Mar 21
They need to start paying you a commission.
2 people like this
