Has your daughter ever sold anything and realized how it can help her gain self confidence?
- Maybe she is a Girl Scout and she sold Girl Scout cookies?
- Or she participated in a car wash or another school fundraising activity?
I am not talking about when YOU brought the forms into your job. You remembered every colleague who asked you to participate in their kid’s wrapping paper fundraiser. So, you returned the favor. LOL.
Remember a time when SHE sold.
- She talked about why this was important
- She introduced herself to another adult – besides a family member – and caught their attention.
- And she convinced them to say yes.
If your daughter has not engaged in this activity, I encourage you to get her involved in an entrepreneurship program. It is an amazing opportunity to learn how to communicate the following:
- Presenting an idea so others are interested
- Hearing no and handling objections
- Gaining confidence when someone is interested and believes in her idea
Check This Out: 3 Easy Ways Your Daughter Can Sell More Girl Scout Cookies
I remember one of the first school sales that I organized. I was teaching an entrepreneurship program that was integrated into the regular school curriculum. The students visited the wholesale district in New York City and bought goods to sell to friends and family at an evening event. We practiced the set-up, sample sales scripts. and how to handle objections before the sale.
All of the training went out the window when they heard their first NO.
- Some students gave up quickly
- Others tried the “I am cute. Please buy from me” begging technique
- Some kept people talking and asking questions. They didn’t stop until they found something at their table – or even another table – that caught interest.
Halfway through the event, something magical happened. The students who sold out started gloating about their earnings. Other students got righteously mad and started asking questions about how they were able to sell out. When they heard that these students kept talking, a few students realized that they needed to keep engaging. A few cautiously started talking to people again. They were clearly nervous. Unsure. Even though we had practiced the sales scripts many times.
During the debrief session, we talked about this experience. The students who were able to sell all of their items started sharing their techniques. I watched shy students jump up and share how they were able to talk to customers. They kept repeating that they did not get bothered when someone told them no.
This is a powerful idea for our girls to experience if we want them to build their self-confidence.
As a parent, I know you have communicated no to your children. I know that they have heard this from teachers and adult authority figures.
Check This Out: When and How to Say No to Kids
But have your children had the opportunity to test their own ideas? When they are trying to convince someone to buy something and it’s possible that the person could say yes or no?
I encourage you to allow your daughters to have this experience. You have an opportunity to coach them and help them navigate objections. Sometimes you move on. Other times you listen more closely because you might have room to convince them again.
Why?
Our children are often being raised in very constricted environments. Adults are controlling their activities from sunup to sundown. College is often the first time that they are able to start navigating these moments.
So don’t wait. Let them make “mistakes”. Have them practice activities where they don’t know the outcome. It is possible that someone will say no. Or someone might say yes. But it happens only because of what they communicated.
This activity does wonders for their self-confidence and long term ability to stay resilient and have grit!
