It’s funny, when you look back in time you can appreciate with the benefit of hindsight the things you have achieved in the building of your career. For example, I didn’t appreciate the significance of it at the time, but I took the first steps of my career in sales when I set up my first little business at the age of 17. That business was called Moonshine Murals and it helped fund my time at Art College in the mid-1970s.
It started by accident really, I’d painted a few murals on my bedroom wall which my mother showed to some of her friends, they really liked what I’d done and asked if I could do something similar for them. A fee was agreed, and the commission was carried out and Moonshine Murals was born.
It wasn’t until many years later, thinking back about that time, that I realised the significance of those early ‘sales’, I can’t remember ever talking to anyone about what I could do for them who didn’t say yes! It seemed to me that selling wasn’t such a difficult thing to do.
I’ve since found out that ‘selling’ doesn’t come so easily for many people and that without the benefit of any sales skills, I think it would be fair to say that some people might appear more naturally suited than others.
Although this may be true, I believe that anyone can be ‘taught’ how to sell better, and over the years I have seen individuals, who may not at first impression seem the most likely salespeople, shine more brightly than their more ‘natural’ colleagues. Without exception, this was always down to following a ‘process’ that worked for them.
For what it’s worth, in my view, a developed skill trumps natural flair every time, but if you can combine the two, that’s when the magic happens.
If you’re interested in checking out a few of my early works, I’ve managed to salvage a few pictures and collate them into the little story book below.
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