I thought I didn’t have it in me.

When I started learning copywriting, I wasn’t used to seeing myself as a “sales guy”, or anything remotely close to being persuasive.

I was shy, introverted and resented what I thought selling meant.

So I get it, not everyone might WANT to sell, whether in print or with their words.

But I’ve come to a realization…

Sales is a skill everyone CAN and should develop, at least in some proportion.

We’re all constantly selling: ourselves, our talent, our ideas, our business, our passion, our interests, our credibility…

And like they say in the movie GlenGarry Glen Ross, you should “always be closing” if you want to achieve much in this life.

How did I change my perception about sales?

It wasn’t a sudden shift.

I just dug so deep over the years into people’s minds, that I started reframing it.

Here’s a great way to explain it…

It’s from the new TV show “Hello tomorrow!”.

I’m really loving it because of a few personal faves, like the 50s setting, the sci-fi mixed in, the Fallout vibe… but also because of the sales and marketing themes.

In short and without spoilering, the story is about these door to door salesmen selling trips to the moon.

One day a new guy is in the car with his mentor after a ton of failed attempts at getting into prospects’ doors.

The two have an incredible dialogue, which to me, exemplifies what sales really is and how you can literally get your feet in the door (and in the hearts and minds) of your prospects – every. single. time.

See if you can spot the important bits (I filmed it as I couldn’t find it online):

Here’s the transcript if you can’t watch the video right now:

Mentor: You remember the grandma that you had earlier, who begged off to get her cookies out of the oven? She liked you.

Newbie: ( stammers ) I guess.

Mentor: So, pretend that I’m her, okay? You just gave a good pitch. The smell of cookies is drifting in from the kitchen. Now I gotta go get ’em out of the oven before they burn. You’re up.

Newbie: ( inhales deeply ) Okay, uh, well, ma’am, if I could just have another moment of your time…

Mentor: No, no, no. They’re burning right now. I just told you that.

Newbie: Well, I’m happy to wait on the stoop until you get back…

Mentor: Like a Peeping Tom? Oh, no thanks.

Newbie: Trust me, ma’am, you don’t know the opportunities that you’re missing on the moon.

Mentor: So now I’m stupid? I’m d… Smell the cookies, Joe!

Newbie: Your grandchildren would have a great asset that you can leave to…

Mentor: Jesus! ( sighs ) ( chuckles ) Smell ’em. And what do you say? ( gulps )

Newbie: Smells pretty good. ( sighs )

Mentor: Pardon me, sonny? Little hard of hearing. ( stammers )

Newbie: The cookies smell great, ma’am. Oh! ( chuckles ) Wh… What are… What are they, chocolate chip?

Mentor: Well, yes. Thank you for asking finally. Now, would you like to come in and share one with me, and sell me on my new life that I desperately need? Because my husband is dead, my kids don’t call, and I spend my days baking cookies and eating them alone.

Newbie: Do you think she’s really that sad?

Mentor: And if we don’t help her, who will? ( chuckles )

So, what do you think this is about?

What is selling about and how do you manage to break the barriers between your prospects and your pitch?

I’ll dive into it tomorrow… in the meantime let me know your thoughts and I’ll share the replies.

P.S. 18 hours left on our giveaway, sharing the 3 winners tomorrow!! 🥳

Quote and reflection of the day:

“To shrug it all off and wipe it clean—every annoyance and distraction—and reach utter stillness. Child’s play”

• Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

A state or play is not hectic or distracted. It’s stillness. It’s being fully immersed in whatever you’re doing at the exclusion of everything else. It’s constantly wiping your experience clean and living it anew.

Awesome newsletter corner

(experimenting with something new, twice a week I’ll share some amazing and not so well-known newsletters I’m loving)

This week I’ve been hustling.

Kicked off two big client projects and had to push through because of the content I’ve also been putting out. It can be a lot.

Reason why I’m really finding value in reading Hardly Hustle. You get stories from some kickass Entrepreneurs each week on how they are finding alignment and balance while building their business. You can signup here.