Buying and selling

Buying and Selling
When buying things, do you purchase out of fear or out of hope? And when you sell to others, are they buying out of a sense of fear, or a feeling of hope? I love to sell, and have been doing it most of my life, starting with earning the title, “Top in Sales” for Girl Scout cookies in 2nd grade. I dedicated time going from door to door, which certainly paid off. I’ve never been able to sell just anything, however. If I’m selling something it will only be something I love and believe in. I don’t feel the need to sell things just for the sake of selling, and I don’t want others to buy something they don’t want or need. I always focus on using hope when selling, never ever using fear to try and sell people.

Over time, while watching and learning from the buying and selling styles of others, it fascinates me to see how often people buy out of fear. Many times, they’re convinced by marketing techniques that someone out there truly has the magic pill, formula, trick, tactic, or strategy that they can’t live or succeed without. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great products and services out there but please do your research before buying.

As an honest professional, I’m happy to sell you something you’ll truly benefit from, but I don’t ever want you to buy something from me that only benefits me. In the speaking world, many people are selling each other products and services with the sole focus of becoming successful. To me, success means a lot of things, not exclusively making money, so my first piece of encouragement for someone hiring a speaker is to be cautious, ask a lot of questions, and don’t believe everything you hear and see on social media.

Any of us can self-promote and tell you how great we are, and many of us will if you’re willing to listen, but before you hand over your credit card, ask yourself, “Has this person done for themselves what they’re telling me to do? Are they successful in the same way I want to be successful?” Often, many people compromise in one area in hopes of gain in another, which is why I want to caution you to be careful about what you sign up for. I’m not saying don’t ever buy, but I am saying ask about the company, its products, history, product results, and their own story before you say yes. Finally, don’t forget to ask the most important question, “Am I buying out of fear of missing out, not being successful, and not achieving goals, or am I buying out of hope for better results, support on the journey, or more success than I’ve had in the past? Is this person selling to me out of fear or hope?”

Buying new things can be fun and the positive interaction that comes with buying and selling out of hope makes the experience that much better. As you consider new purchases this week, I encourage you to stop and consider the purchase first and buy only if it will help you become what and who you want to be, blocking out the possibility of leading you to buy out of fear.

What does living your exceptional life look like to you?

Do you purchase out of hope or fear? Why?

What’s the last thing you purchased out of fear? Was it beneficial?

Let Annie know your plan! E-mail her at:
Annie@AnnieMeehan.com

What’s the best thing you’ve bought out of hope? How did it change your life?