A contributor edition of Road Notes: a childhood flower sale that ended with a chased-off-the-porch lesson in why value has to work both ways. Featuring Deanna Vigliotta, founder of The Traveling Saleslady.
Takeaways:
I recall my first sales call when I sold roses taken from a neighbor's garden.
I learned that sales is not about convincing but about creating value that a person genuinely wants.
We must always ask whether our offering actually solves a real problem for the person we are speaking to.
I understood that both parties must perceive value before trust develops, relationships form, and business follows.
I now habitually test new ideas by asking whether Mrs. Page would buy this, which refines my value proposition.
Today's piece is a contributor story from Deanna Vigliotta, founder of the Traveling Sales Lady.
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My first sales call didn't end well.
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In fact, it ended with me being chased off a front porch.
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I was about 10 years old.
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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.
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My target?
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Mrs.
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Page.
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I rang her doorbell, proudly holding my inventory and fully prepared to close the deal.
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The only problem?
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The roses I was selling had come from her garden.
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At the time, I thought I had everything figured out.
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Product?
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Yes.
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Packaging, yes.
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Distribution strategy, yes.
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Confidence, absolutely.
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What I lacked was a basic understanding of one important concept.
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Knowing your customer.
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As you might imagine, Mrs.
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Page was not impressed with my value proposition.
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In fact, she had a rather strong reaction to the idea of purchasing flowers that had recently been growing in her own flower bed.
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Needless to say, the sales call did not end with a signed contract.
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Looking back, it's one of the funniest memories from my childhood.
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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.
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Many people think sales is about convincing someone to buy something.
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It isn't.
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Sales is about creating value that another person actually wants and is willing to exchange something for.
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That's where many products, services and business ideas struggle.
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We become so excited about what we're offering that we forget to ask a critical question.
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Does this solve a problem for the person I'm talking to?
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In my 10 year old mind, I was offering beautiful flowers.
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In Mrs.
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Page's mind, I was attempting to sell her property back to her.
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Those are two very different perspectives.
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The older I get, the more I realize that successful sales conversations are less about talking and more about understanding.
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If you are selling healthcare products, conference sponsorships, educational programs, consulting services, or even a handful of roses, the principle remains the same.
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Both parties must perceive value.
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When that happens, trust develops, relationships form, and business naturally follows.
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When it doesn't, well, sometimes you get chased off a porch.
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It is funny how life works.
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My passion for sales may have started with a flower, a soda cup, and a very unhappy neighbor.
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Thankfully, my sales strategies have improved a bit since then.
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Although every now and then when I'm developing a new idea or launching a new project, I still find myself asking, would Mrs.
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Page buy this?
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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.
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Traveling Saleslady Question of the Month what's the first entrepreneurial venture you remember trying and what did it teach you?
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I'd love to hear your story.
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That's roadnotes from the Traveling Saleslady.
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This piece was shared as part of the roadnotes Contributor series featuring perspectives from sales professionals across industries.
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Explore more Roadnotes stories on YouTube, at the traveling Sales lady or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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Roadnotes is a production of the Traveling Saleslady in partnership with Brilliant Beam Media.
