Sold!

»Outside sales is a rewarding career path for an independently motivated person. Time spent traveling allows for excitement, exploration and contemplation that few other jobs can match. It can also leave a salesperson with many stories—some so strange they might not be believed.

In my career, while traveling to sales calls, I have locked the keys in my car, got my car stuck in the mud, had two flat tires, made a U-turn on an interstate, and seen a high-speed, multicar accident on the highway. (This was not caused by my U-turn.)

I have had an allergic reaction so severe that I had to get to an emergency room, poked my finger into my eye while setting up a booth at a trade show, been snowed in for several days at a motel, and been asked for directions many times in cities where I was the one who was lost.

In one of my more memorable sales appointments, I went to a yoga seminar and “chanted” with my customer and about 200 other people before our appointment. In another, I visited a commune that can only be described as cult-like where I was introduced as the “special guest” and handed a microphone to greet those present at our “business lunch”—which consisted of bread and water.

The point is that part of sales is about adapting to different situations and always keeping your cool.

In all of these cases, my outward appearance was calm and professional and I came away making a sale. By meeting a client on his or her own terms and environment, however different, you can gain a window into how he thinks and works.

Do you have a fun, different or otherwise out-of-the-ordinary story about sales? If so, I’d like to hear about it. Please e-mail me at robw@gulfshorebusiness.com.