The guy yelled at me... "You can't sell here!"
Hi Gordon,
Thanks for sharing that story!
It reminds me of something which happened to me...
First, I'll explain. There's a magazine in some parts of the world called "The Big Issue." It started in the UK, and can be found now in various countries (including Australia, where I live).
It's a magazine which helps the homeless... The magazine is professionally produced. However, only homeless people can sell it. By selling the magazine, they can make some money for themselves.
Okay... Several years ago, I took a job selling discounted tickets for a local comedy club. I had only just started this job... And was doing my best to sell the tickets in a popular pedestrian mall.
I figured I had a good spot to try to interest passers-by in these comedy tickets. However, about 15 feet away was another seller... A homeless man, selling "The Big Issue."
I figured it was okay. Nobody "owned" any particular spot. Plus, we were selling quite different things. He was selling a magazine, and I was selling comedy tickets.
However, he had a different idea.
He said, "You can't sell here. Go somewhere else."
Now, I thought... I don't have to move. He doesn't "own" any spot in the pedestrian mall. So I ignored him, and kept doing my best to sell...
So, he got angry. He opened up his lungs, and yelled louder,
"You can't sell here! Go move somewhere else!"
My thoughts were... He can't tell me where to sell!
However... on the other hand, I felt a bit sorry for him. Even if I sold no tickets, I still had a roof over my head to go home to, and food on the table to eat. He may not have those things.
Despite my reservations... in the end, I moved. (Even though I was sure I didn't have to!)
I didn't sell too many tickets anyway (either at that spot, or anywhere else)!
It was overall, a good experience, though...
(I did end up really improving my selling skills over time. Many years ago, Gordon recommended to me that I get some experience in selling, as it would help me in business. So I did, and it did!)
Best wishes,
Dien
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