My Fundraising Dillema

Today, as I sat at my desk counting down the final hour of the work day watching seconds tick by, I heard from my desk a little boy asking from the front counter, "Would you like to buy a Christmas wreath?"

I hid behind my computer monitor and let the front desk girl send him on his way. Why? Well, because I wanted to shout, "Yes! Yes, you poor little man with a lisp, I will buy an overpriced wreath to support whatever cause you are selling them for!" But I didn't. I didn't because I have watched my husband send away countless amounts of youth attempting to fund-raise, I have watched him turn down great sales offers, and in doing so he has helped me learn the value of saying, "No."

I am not good at it yet.  That young man walked away and my heart was wracked with guilt! I shed tears over telling that kid, "No." My work study even wished him luck as he moved forward selling and I am sure it was the most polite refusal he has seen today, but for my heart, it didn't soften the blow.  I still shed tears over the disappointment I just made that young man feel.

There is some value though. Life is going to give us all a lot of that answer: NO. It makes the times we get a "yes" a whole lot sweeter.  There are also things that my husband always says these kids need to learn: how to be a salesman and plead your case.  This young man didn't start with any sort of greeting, not even a, "Hello!" He didn't tell me WHY he was selling wreaths, where he was from, who he represented, how much the wreaths cost, or the benefits I might gain from buying his wreath. He didn't even tell me his name.

In the real world, that won't get you anywhere. Someday you will plead with a professor over a grade or an opinion, a future employer over an intent to work contract, a supervisor over an account you believe in, a manager over office policy, an HR representative over your pay grade - and in doing all of these real world scenarios, you MUST sell yourself.  You better know exactly who you are, you better say it with a smile, you better convince the person WHY you are worth it, your product is worth it, your idea is worth it, your employment is worth it. And let me tell you a secret: you better believe what you are saying or they never will.

So the next time you fork over 30 dollars to the Boy Scouts for caramel popcorn, or 4 dollars a box for your beloved Girl Scout cookies, please make sure they worked for it.  If they haven't worked for it, you are only giving them the impression that all things in life come easily - and that, I assure you, will never serve them well for their future.