Best Salesperson Ever? Some Reselling Wisdom From A 5 Year Old
Summary: La discusión gira en torno al tema del mejor vendedor, compartiendo anécdotas y consejos sobre la reventa, inspirados en la perspectiva de un niño de 5 años. Sin embargo, los detalles y contenido específico de cada comentario no están disponibles.
What follows is what happend at a yard sale Saturday morning that struck me.
Saturday morning I drove up on what would be my last yard sale of the day. I got out of my car and a large dog, I don't recall the breed, ran towards me with the largest doggie smile you can imagine - and then some. After receiving and giving lots of love, it was time to browse this family's selection of goods to see if there was any business that could be had.
As I walked up, the family greeted me. A little girl, all of 5 or 6 years old and a face full of freckles said to me, "Would you like a Pepsi for $2?" My doctor told me last week I need to stay away from soft drinks as some of my recent bloodwork was a little wonky, so I did what all of you would do and said, "Sure, I'll take a Pepsi." I asked her if she had a tip jar. She had no clue what I was talking about, but mom spoke up and said it was a good idea. I handed the little girl an extra $1 and told her that was for the good service.
I looked around and my eyes quickly laid on one an extra large dinosaur from Jurassic Park. If you don't know, these things are about 40 inches tall. They really aren't that bad to ship (I use FedEx!) and they bring in some good profit if you can get them at a good price. This family was asking $10. My eyes lit up. I picked up the dinosaur to find that the tail was broken off. 😕 Just seconds earlier I felt like I spun .85¢ on the big wheel on The Price Is Right. Now I felt like Betty with the light mustache had landed on $1 and I lost.
I looked around and wasn't seeing too much else. There was a large bin of plush on the floor. I got down on my knees and started going through it. Don't knock plush. I've sold penty of $100-$200 plush over the past three years. It is always worth a look if you are an everything seller. My eyes gazed upon the Luigi at the bottom of the bin. I was hoping it was the 2001 Kellytoy 9" plush Luigi, but alas this one is more modern. Luigi often sells a little better than Mario, so I asked, "How much is your plush?" The mom responded, "$1.00, 0.50¢, whatever you want to give me for it." Looking back, I should have just had her put a price on the tub. Almost all of the plush had the tags. I was not going to sit there and look everything up when it is all at basement prices. I did though take time to go through it and only pull out the ones I wanted. As I did, the little girl came up beside me and started telling me about each of the plush. She told me that she decided to sell some of her plush to help her mom. How sweet. I told her that is a great thing to always help mom, and you can then use the money to buy new things. That's always a fun thing. She smiled and said, "Yeah."
Another reseller I know drove up. He ran right for the Jurassic Park dinosaur. "How much?" he asked. They told him $10.00. He pulled out his wallet, then grabbed the dinosaur. I overheard him say, "It's missing the tail." He, too, had just been outbid by Betty. He walked over to me and the little girl and saw the pile of plush I was making. He asked if I was leaving him anything. I told him not much, and he left. The little girl remarked that "that man" looked mad, and she then told me about how she stomps her feet when she is mad.
I piled my plush into my blue Ikea bag and asked the mom how $15 sounded. She was happy to take it. As soon as I had put my wallet back in my wallet, here came the little girl again - this time carrying a piece of paper. "Would you like to donate to my cheer camp so I can get a uniform and pom poms?" she said with big doe eyes. Out came my wallet again. She handed me the paper and I saw that two other people had donated $5.00 each. I wasn't going to be outdone. I handed her a $10 bill. The little girl said thank you, which is a breath of fresh air because I cannot get my own nieces and nephews, who are older, to say thank you.
The little girl may just be the best salesperson ever. Before I even had a chance to look at a single item, she had already sold me a Pepsi. As I browsed through the plush, she stayed engaged, told me stories about them, and explained that she was selling some of her toys to help her mom. By that point, I wasn't just buying plush; I was rooting for her. Then, after I had already purchased the plush and put my wallet away, she swooped in for the close with a request for a donation toward cheer camp so she could get a uniform and pom-poms. Out came the wallet again. What made her so effective wasn't a sales script or years of experience. She was friendly, genuine, enthusiastic, and unafraid to ask. Many adult salespeople struggle with those things. In the span of fifteen minutes, she sold me a Pepsi, earned a tip, helped facilitate a plush sale, and secured a donation. That's a pretty impressive sales record for someone who won't start First Grade until August.
There is a lesson here for eBay sellers. The little girl succeeded because she did more than simply put items in front of people and hope they sold. She engaged with her customer, told the story behind what she was selling, created a positive experience, and most importantly, she wasn't afraid to ask. Many eBay sellers focus entirely on listing items and forget that selling is really about connecting buyers with something they want. Good photos, detailed descriptions, fast communication, reasonable offers, and excellent customer service all help build that connection. The little girl also demonstrated something many sellers overlook: every interaction is an opportunity. She sold a Pepsi, then helped with the plush sale, then asked for a donation. Likewise, successful eBay sellers look for ways to increase the value of every customer interaction, whether through combined shipping, repeat business, answering questions promptly, or simply making the buying experience enjoyable. In the end, people often remember how a transaction made them feel just as much as what they bought, and that is as true on eBay as it was at that yard sale.
squinkercat59
·4 months agoReminds me of a garage sale I went to years ago - I had seen a sign for it but ended up driving about ten miles out into the country to a farm with an ENORMOUS garage. I went in, all prepared for some good shopping, only to be confronted with rows and rows of tables containing nothing but baby clothes and Avon bottles. I looked for a few minutes, thanked the lady, and went to leave. The little red-haired girl with her, about six, blocked the door, put her hands on her hips and said, "Hey lady, ain't you gonna buy NUTHIN?" The mother had some cherry tomatoes from their garden, in baggies, on the checkout table, so I bought some of those. They were the best cherry tomatoes I ever had. Never would've gotten them except for that kid!!
bill.purvis2012
·4 months agoLove it! We are all so busy, we need to be reminded of what works.
buyersellerfinder
·4 months agoI really enjoyed the narrative.
I wish the Mom could read your post.
And - I wish the girl would read your post when she is 14.
I think this story could be the opener for a book about "How To Sell Successfully".
The thing I like most is the girl seemed to not have an outward appearance of a hard sales agenda - yet she still did everything correct.
I wonder if I would be successful selling large ticket items with her techniques? Yes, like cars and other items.
tobaccocardyahoo
·4 months agoA touching story, well told.
fern*wood
·4 months agoI’m odd man out, but I hate being hovered over when I shop—regular stores or yard sales.
adamcartwright
·4 months ago@christworks
Sweet story and a great takeaway.
As to the Pepsi, I've always said there are two kinds of people -- those who stop for lemonade stands and those who don't.
alliern
·4 months agoSounds like a great day, what an amazing little girl!
ryry-jj
·4 months agoFun story, well written...felt like I was there watching you...even that part bending down with the plushes...my poor knees saw that, too! Yup, value added...and never forget to charge for it! 🙂
mcdougle4248
·4 months ago@christworks
Thank you for sharing. What a wonderful way to start my Sunday morning!
lakefor94
·4 months agoThanks for taking the time to share. Enjoyed the read.
44012
·4 months agoThanks for sharing! This was a great post!
authentic*vintage
·4 months agoThis was an awesome story! What a wonderful experience. Puts it all back into perspective.
meme6253
·4 months agoGreat story, Thanks for sharing!!
68barbie
·4 months ago@christworks Thank you for sharing this story. What a great way to start my Sunday!
-C
soh.maryl
·4 months agoSounds like a super good day for everyone involved. Thank you so much for sharing that experience.