Give me your sales pitch
Over the last few years I’ve grown to really like and appreciate high quality coffee and have even discussed it before here. Thanks to posts by 49thparallel and ElysianCoffee I found myself at a coffee convention in Anaheim this weekend; and had a blast. There were lots of opportunities to try great lots of coffee and to see the big faces in the coffee community. The best part was that I got to see all the different things that go into the business of coffee; from roasting, to water purification, to espresso machines, packaging, and much more.
This event was mainly meant for people in the coffee business and as we walked from booth to booth, I was startled by how little I was hounded by the people representing the different businesses. I would go up and engage with their products or paperwork and with few exceptions nobody said a word to me. This is supposed to be an opportunity to make new business. I am very likely a potential customer for your business. These companies have paid lots of money for these booths, flew over these people, put them up in hotels, and not a word.
As I walked around thinking about this, it hit me that clearly business conventions are not the only place where this is an issue. Every single day, each one of us is selling ourself to the world. Whether it be a desk job, an entrepreneur venture, or working to impress members of the other sex. There are lots and lots of sales opportunities. You might be at the gym, a meeting, or a coffee shop. Your goods are with you, don’t forget your pitch.