07/06/2025
How my kid taught me the sales lesson today.
Three years ago, we ate all the chocolate bars we were supposed to sell for the school fundraiser.
Last year, we attempted to sell them by placing a sign on the bench in the park and staying nearby. We sold one. Ate the rest.
This year, I told my son:
“If we sell two, it’s a win. It means we’ve grown.”
So we made a simple sign:
“Bars for Books - $2.50 each”
Put the chocolates on a bench in the local park. And waited. For an hour and a half… nothing. Then I saw a girl walk around the park offering chocolate bars. She sold 3 right in front of me. And that’s when I realised something:
Sales isn't about waiting. It's about showing up. Talking to people. Taking action.
So we left the bench and started offering bars to those around us.
Some said yes. Some gave $3, $5, and $20 just to support the school. Some didn’t even want chocolate - they just wanted to help.
In 40 minutes, we sold 7. That’s 7 people who would have walked past us if we stayed silent.
Therefore, today, I learned two business lessons:
1. If you don’t talk about what you offer, you stay invisible.
2. Behind the product should be some non-material value (in this case, helping the school library). So people not just buy the chocolate; they donate books to the school.
What has life (or your kids) taught you about business or sales?
