Your Kid Has To Ask
It's Girl Scout cookie season again. And I have the perfect way to get out of buying cookies from co-workers. Now I never intended this to be a way out, it just sort of happened. When someone asks if I would like to buy cookies, or popcorn, or whatever for their son or daughter, I simply say "Yes, I would love to, but your child has to ask me." In 15 years of working in an office environment, I have yet to have a kid call me up and ask to buy anything.
That got me to thinking, "Why doesn't the kid call?" I said I would buy whatever. I am a guaranteed sale here. But I have never gotten a call. Not once. Now I will buy pretty much anything from kids at the door if they tell me their name, what they are selling and why. If I don't buy something, I'm usually good for a donation. They're walking around, workin' hard. I see that. I appreciate they are trying to sell wrapping paper so they can get new band uniforms. I get it. But if the kid of the co-worker can not call me up and say "My name is Kevin, you work with my Mom at the office..." and go about his shpiel, he does not deserve my business.
Yes. I was in Boy Scouts, and band, and Junior Achievement and had to sell everything from cookies to soap to light bulbs. My Dad never took anything to work. It was my trip, my uniform, my new equipment, my responsibility. I'm not saying Dad wasn't a good customer. He'd put down several cases of caramel filled chocolate bars, but he did not take them to work. I would spend the Saturday's outside the grocery store trying to sell tickets to our spaghetti dinners.
Let me end by saying this: If your child is old enough, stop taking their order forms into work. Instead, give them a list of names of your co-workers who have agreed to be called upon. It will teach the kid selling techniques, presentation skills, the importance of networking and making contacts, and a sense of personal responsibility.
It's Girl Scout cookie season again. And I have the perfect way to get out of buying cookies from co-workers. Now I never intended this to be a way out, it just sort of happened. When someone asks if I would like to buy cookies, or popcorn, or whatever for their son or daughter, I simply say "Yes, I would love to, but your child has to ask me." In 15 years of working in an office environment, I have yet to have a kid call me up and ask to buy anything.
That got me to thinking, "Why doesn't the kid call?" I said I would buy whatever. I am a guaranteed sale here. But I have never gotten a call. Not once. Now I will buy pretty much anything from kids at the door if they tell me their name, what they are selling and why. If I don't buy something, I'm usually good for a donation. They're walking around, workin' hard. I see that. I appreciate they are trying to sell wrapping paper so they can get new band uniforms. I get it. But if the kid of the co-worker can not call me up and say "My name is Kevin, you work with my Mom at the office..." and go about his shpiel, he does not deserve my business.
Yes. I was in Boy Scouts, and band, and Junior Achievement and had to sell everything from cookies to soap to light bulbs. My Dad never took anything to work. It was my trip, my uniform, my new equipment, my responsibility. I'm not saying Dad wasn't a good customer. He'd put down several cases of caramel filled chocolate bars, but he did not take them to work. I would spend the Saturday's outside the grocery store trying to sell tickets to our spaghetti dinners.
Let me end by saying this: If your child is old enough, stop taking their order forms into work. Instead, give them a list of names of your co-workers who have agreed to be called upon. It will teach the kid selling techniques, presentation skills, the importance of networking and making contacts, and a sense of personal responsibility.
posted by Norm at 3:06 PM
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