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Salesman of the Year
January 3, 2008
It was a fitting way to end 2007: Coming across the best raw sales talent I’ve seen all year. It all took place in the oddest of places, but then what else would you expect on New Year’s Eve in Boston?
I sat on the Red Line (subway) from Braintree to Boston reading the book on Tom Brady that my daughter had given me for Christmas when he came on board. He was tall and wiry and his eyes sparkled. Nathan was working the crowd, trying to sell copies of his music to anyone who would listen. He had the perfect balance of entertainment and aggressiveness without crossing the line to being confrontational and annoying. I was fascinated with his style and even more fascinated with the results: By my count there where 30 people on that train. Nathan made ten sales.
His approach was simple: Free trial. While he was talking, he’d hand people one of two earpieces to listen. But rather than say, “Buy it if you like it,” he’d say, “Give me your opinion on this song.” Nathan was a student at the famed Berkeley School of Music in Boston (or so he said) and was full of beans. The mood of the entire car rose as he made his way down from one party to another. Clearly, Nathan loved life, loved what he did as well as what he was doing at the moment, and life loved him back.
Every part of the sale was present, right down to the objections. He was ready for anything and nothing rattled him. When one group of non-English speaking riders waved him off, Nathan serenaded them with an original song made up on the spot. He then held a CD up in one hand and showed five fingers in the other. They bought.
As we hit our fifth stop, Nathan was done. We were not only sold but educated on his website and his musical influences. With perfect timing, he departed the train turned to take his bows as the doors shut like a curtain. We were left better by this kind, gentle soul; my Salesman of the Year.
Posted by Bill Farquharson on January 3, 2008 | Comments (1)
