tcm
...
Well ok, it's bit of an ambitious thread title BUT....
We've moved house recently so are down from two houses to one. Tons of stuff chucked, and today i went thru the dvd/videos to see what we really needed to keep. I discarded in pile everything that ithought i wd never want to watch again, and the result was a heap of around 100 dvd's/videos.
Obviously bit much to skip them, so i suggested to the kids they put them in two handbaggage trolley bags and make a few quid selling them to the great british public, in the street this afternoon? 100 vids at a pound each means 100 quid, hm?
Kids 18 and 15 very keen on a sure-fire 100 quid and march off, certain of their imminent fortune. We live in WC2 so surely they could find a ready market in Covent Garden, praps?
Rang them via mobile an hour later. They are in Carnaby Street. How's it going? Not good - they have not sold any. Bit despondent.
I am with swmbo and we tellem to come our way and meet us near covent garden tube. Swmbo marchs them down to the collonade area, sets down the bags and shows them what to do.
Cue two rugger playing teenagers, having spent yonks at nice schools with lots of exams... Agog... at their ole mum that they *thought* just helped out doing the books atwork - IN ACTION. Cos swmbo hauled down three punters immediately, and then prods kids to do the same. Fantastic stuff.
Son#1 aged 18 tries to make excuses to leave and i tellim no chance - it is exactly this sort of gumption and ability from swmbo that has paid for any boats and houses and whatevr since before he was born. If he likes the idea of one day having a big car/house - this is a demo of some fairly important skills which might be needed on the way. Watch and learn.
There followed a practical tutorial in frontline Capitalism. Son # 2 plans to do economics - and this is actual real live Economics, see? Not a load of graphs and theories - it starts with someone asking someone else if they wd like to trade. If you can't or won't do it, you're a backroom bod, not a doer. There are loads of backroom bods.
But their mum is a doer, no question. She kicks arse, see? Kids nod humbly. First time for ages - or perhaps ever - they are in awe of their Mum showing how it's done same as she showed loads of so-called sales "professionals" and smart-suity wannabees at work, and thrashed everyone else's sales figures by a factor of at least two for over 20 years.
Son#1 suggests that heh, perhaps instead of having a sign saying "£1 each" he cd sell some for £1 ....and some for a bit more? I tellim Ah no you don't - selling should NOT be a "Con trick" - you make sure evry deal is ok if everyone else finds out. If you raise or drop the price there had better be a good reason, and not merely that you decided you could get away with fleecing someone for a fast buck, but not the other customer. The fleeced customer would go bonkers, and i bet it might have been you, once?
Lots of other issues too. Another time one or both kids were a bit embarassed that one of the vids was "Striptease" with pic of demi moore on the front, and shuffled it away. Oi! You must not be shy of what you do and what you sell - some people sell sex aids, some sell racy magazines, whatevr, no need to be embarrassed if you are working honestly, and do not harm anyone. Kids go bright red, but a punter buys the film.
Soon enough the kids have sold around 50+ quids worth before a official chap tells them they shd have licence. heyho. So they packd up and came home. Fair enuf.
Lessons here, definitely.
We've moved house recently so are down from two houses to one. Tons of stuff chucked, and today i went thru the dvd/videos to see what we really needed to keep. I discarded in pile everything that ithought i wd never want to watch again, and the result was a heap of around 100 dvd's/videos.
Obviously bit much to skip them, so i suggested to the kids they put them in two handbaggage trolley bags and make a few quid selling them to the great british public, in the street this afternoon? 100 vids at a pound each means 100 quid, hm?
Kids 18 and 15 very keen on a sure-fire 100 quid and march off, certain of their imminent fortune. We live in WC2 so surely they could find a ready market in Covent Garden, praps?
Rang them via mobile an hour later. They are in Carnaby Street. How's it going? Not good - they have not sold any. Bit despondent.
I am with swmbo and we tellem to come our way and meet us near covent garden tube. Swmbo marchs them down to the collonade area, sets down the bags and shows them what to do.
Cue two rugger playing teenagers, having spent yonks at nice schools with lots of exams... Agog... at their ole mum that they *thought* just helped out doing the books atwork - IN ACTION. Cos swmbo hauled down three punters immediately, and then prods kids to do the same. Fantastic stuff.
Son#1 aged 18 tries to make excuses to leave and i tellim no chance - it is exactly this sort of gumption and ability from swmbo that has paid for any boats and houses and whatevr since before he was born. If he likes the idea of one day having a big car/house - this is a demo of some fairly important skills which might be needed on the way. Watch and learn.
There followed a practical tutorial in frontline Capitalism. Son # 2 plans to do economics - and this is actual real live Economics, see? Not a load of graphs and theories - it starts with someone asking someone else if they wd like to trade. If you can't or won't do it, you're a backroom bod, not a doer. There are loads of backroom bods.
But their mum is a doer, no question. She kicks arse, see? Kids nod humbly. First time for ages - or perhaps ever - they are in awe of their Mum showing how it's done same as she showed loads of so-called sales "professionals" and smart-suity wannabees at work, and thrashed everyone else's sales figures by a factor of at least two for over 20 years.
Son#1 suggests that heh, perhaps instead of having a sign saying "£1 each" he cd sell some for £1 ....and some for a bit more? I tellim Ah no you don't - selling should NOT be a "Con trick" - you make sure evry deal is ok if everyone else finds out. If you raise or drop the price there had better be a good reason, and not merely that you decided you could get away with fleecing someone for a fast buck, but not the other customer. The fleeced customer would go bonkers, and i bet it might have been you, once?
Lots of other issues too. Another time one or both kids were a bit embarassed that one of the vids was "Striptease" with pic of demi moore on the front, and shuffled it away. Oi! You must not be shy of what you do and what you sell - some people sell sex aids, some sell racy magazines, whatevr, no need to be embarrassed if you are working honestly, and do not harm anyone. Kids go bright red, but a punter buys the film.
Soon enough the kids have sold around 50+ quids worth before a official chap tells them they shd have licence. heyho. So they packd up and came home. Fair enuf.
Lessons here, definitely.
