My dad used to sell a type of commodity contract. It was so complicated, he was certain his sales people didn't understand what they were selling.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I don't like that I'm my own commodity, that I am what I sell.
Selling is a natural skill. It's developed as a child. You may know it as persuasion.
When I sold my first business, I wanted to do something nice for my dad. I wanted to give my parents a bunch of money, but they wouldn't take anything from me. They were so happy for me; they felt they didn't need money.
I have always been an honest trader. I come from a school of traders where there was honour in the deal. No contracts, just a handshake and that's it, done. That's the way I prefer to do business but it's not always possible these days, sadly.
It seemed glamorous when I used to go into work and get to be on a trading floor or see how the business worked a little bit before I ever understood what it was.
A commodity producer should be comfortable being exposed to prices.
Selling is something we do for our clients - not to our clients.
The buyer, the prospect, the customer expects you to have knowledge of their stuff, not just your stuff.
My father worked two jobs. He assembled speakers during the day, and then he sold real estate at night and on weekends. And then he eventually, when he was in his mid-50s, became a full-time real estate salesman.
I used to sell furniture for a living. The trouble was, it was my own.