Finding Sales in Unlikely Places

While speaking at a conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Dale Plass, president of Plass Appliance & Furniture in the Chicagoland area. During our conversation, he related a great story that serves as a powerful reminder that sales opportunities lurk even in the most unlikely places.

A few years ago, Dale was standing in line at O’Hare airport waiting to check in. The line was long and moving slowly. After twenty minutes of standing there hardly budging, he began thinking to himself, “How can I turn this into a positive sales experience?”

So he yelled out to the crowd, “Does anybody here need any appliances? I can offer a special deal to anyone in this line today!”

Gutsy? Yes. Potentially embarrassing? Certainly. Worth it? Absolutely.

Three people replied that they were, in fact, in the market for new appliances. Dale gave them his card, collected their contact information and followed up with them later. He ended up selling a washer/dryer combo to one person, a high-end refrigerator to another, and a complete kitchen to a couple who were remodeling their home.

That one question netted him nearly $10,000 in sales.

Are you sitting around, waiting for sales to come to you? Or are you out there actively hunting for sales wherever they may be?

Sales opportunities are like Easter eggs: some are in plain sight, others are hidden, but they’re everywhere. You just have to be willing to look for them.