Bad Sales Advice Made Good Life Advice

“Knock on doors.”

“Play in traffic.”

“Get the word out.”

“Make cold calls.”

“Slide into their DMs.”

I know you have to do some of this to sell anything.

But why is the worst feeling “sales” advice I’ve ever received still a relevant tactic?

Not because it doesn’t potentially create a sale.

You do have to start a conversation in order to end it, good or bad.

But don’t start a conversation where your exclusive goal is to make a sale.

Start a conversation because you’re curious.

If you can create more value than you cost, or solve a novel problem, even better.

Knock on doors, but with emphasis on noticing the barriers that keep you out, with the openness to see if there’s a good reason for you to be invited in.

Play in traffic, but with emphasis on the play, because who knows who you might run into, or who might run into you when you’re (safely, sanely) playing.

Get the word out, but with emphasis on getting somebody else’s words out of them so you might learn something.

Make cold calls, but not to push bull s***, and instead to shoot s***, with friends, old acquaintances, or, when you’re in a playful mindset, complete strangers.

Slide into their DMs, but because you’re curious, and not creepy, and you have something that’s genuinely better asked directly rather than publicly.

All the bad advice started out as good advice.

Be less evil by being more curious.

About everything.

Ps. Yeah, everything, and if you don’t know how to start, I recommend this.