Aaron Miller
Our nation would be in a better place right now if everyone had to spend a little bit of their lives working in sales.
I started selling advertising when I was still in college. My income was based entirely on commission. I traveled the country and tried to convince business owners from all different walks of life to buy ads from a guy who was barely old enough to buy a beer. You have to learn fast how to interact and communicate with people or you won’t be able to pay your bills.
In another chapter of my life, I sold suits at JCPenney. At that time, many of us working in the store were paid on commission. We either earned 15% of what we sold personally in our department or a little above minimum wage — whichever was greater. This meant that we would hustle to make a sale and help customers out as fast as we could. We sure as hell weren’t going to help the misses department fold sweaters after the store was already closed. Our customers and the chance to make money were already gone. It may not be the only reason, but JCPenney’s decision to stop paying commission is one of the reasons the once dominant retailer is hanging by a thread.
It was a joy to sell a dark grey or blue suit with a crisp white dress shirt and new tie to a recent graduate going on their first job interview. It was a pleasure to sell a classy looking jacket and pants to a young person going on a first date to the winter formal. I usually had to talk them out of a more expensive yet poorly made, and too trendy ensemble from American Eagle or Hollister.
My biggest challenge was to convince the middle-aged, portly gentleman with a bad toupee to give up on the double breasted blazer with big gold metal buttons. They knew the Herb Tarlek look was dead; they just needed a little convincing. (For millennials and Gen Zers who didn’t understand that cultural reference, ask someone born before 1978.) It was much harder to convince the same customer they were no longer svelte enough to fit into a 38 regular.
What was my point? Oh, yeah … the country would be a better place if everyone had to work in sales at some point in their life. People would be more patient and understanding for those working in customer service.
We wouldn’t have the total breakdown in discourse and political divide if everyone knew how to work the soft sell. No one will buy a suit from you if you call them a dunderhead. You can’t convince anyone of anything if you attack who they are as a person. I also never made a sale to anyone by calling them immoral and quoting Scripture if they wouldn’t buy a suit.
You learn that while you may not make a sale today, the same person might return later, wishing that they had bought from you originally. And they might bring a friend or relative who also needs to buy a suit.
Sure, there were a few customers who were going to buy from me that day almost regardless of what I said. They had the money and needed to buy. But there were many others who were “just looking.” You start by listening. They often tell you exactly what they want. That’s where you can make a connection and build a relationship. This is also how you upsell those who were already going to make a purchase.
That’s what you have to do if you want to change minds. This is what our political leaders and the talking heads in the media need to learn if they actually want to convince anyone of their point of view. They need to stop calling those who disagree with them “evil” or “stupid.” It is also what we need to practice in our daily lives. If you want to change someone’s mind — whether it is at the dinner table, at the coffee shop, or on social media — you’ve got to use the soft sell. You are trying to sell them your ideas. Instead of attacking someone personally, try, “what can I do to put you into a new political opinion today?”
Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College-Columbus. Send comments to [email protected].
