If you like what you see here be generous to your friends and colleagues ...and me.. and pass on this newsletter.

If you know someone that could benefit from this free sales training please feel free to send them the newsletter, or the Need-to-Close Chains sales training tool.

Have you thought about using your sales experience to help your children learn life skills?

Consider this: You have a skill that you can use to help your kids learn life and social skills that will benefit them in a great many ways.

With a bit of thought you can use your sales experience to help your children learn some really important skills that will build their confidence.

And best of all, It can be a really fun way to spend time together.

So here are some great reasons to use your sales skills to help accelerate your children’s development.

Don’t worry I’m not recommending that you turn your kids into corporate dragons or money obsessed entrepreneurs. I’m saying, have you thought about the fun you could have working on a business related project while your children learn some really valuable life skills.

Why your sales experience will help your children’s development

Selling isn’t just for sales people

I don’t know of anyone that grew up wanting to be a salesman or saleswoman. I don’t remember my parents wanting me to be a salesman.

But there are many careers that involve sales and marketing that are not pure sales roles. Many business executives and business owners need an understanding of the sales process. No matter what your hopes are for your child, passing on your basic understanding of business and sales could be beneficial.

Good communication skills are important

We all look at how others communicate and we make judgements about them. We look at written communication and make assumptions about a person’s education.

We listen to a good talker and think they are intelligent, friendly, or knowledgeable. Presentation skills can be really important in many situations.

Sales is all about communicating and presentation. It can be written, verbal, electronic, or face to face, and these are great skills to teach to your kids.

We all sell ourselves in Job Interviews

At some point most of us have to sell ourselves to someone else. Whether it’s a job interview or an application for a business start up investment, to be successful your child will need to know how to sell what they can offer.

Give them the benefit of your experience and pass on your sales and business knowledge to help them build their life skills.

Everyone wants confidence

Everyone wants confidence. I hear it from young people and mature adults; I wish I had the confidence to try such a thing. You cannot give someone confidence; it’s a verb not a noun. What you can do is get them into the habit of doing confidence. By using your sales and business knowledge you can teach life skills to your children that will give them the ability to be confident in any situation.

Have fun spending time with your kids

And the best reason of all to start a sales venture with your children.

Finding something to do together that will interest both you and the children can be difficult. Spending time together usually means either you or they are making a sacrifice and would rather be doing something else.

Having a business and sales project can actually be great fun, and educational, for both you and the kids. You get the chance to help them learn valuable life skills, and you may even learn new skills yourself. For example, have you ever thought about building a website together?

Some ideas to get you thinking

Get the kids involved and gain their buy in to starting your business project together. Discuss what you want to do, how you want to do it, and if you make some money what will you do with it.

You could start off with car boot sales, yard sales, or even a weekend market stall. If standing out in the cold isn’t for you what about selling on EBay, or even building your own website. Selling online will teach your children valuable computer skills and improve their written communication and creative thinking.

Physical face to face sales teaches people and presentation skills. Internet and published marketing build written communication skills. Both will build their confidence and give your family a joint interest.

So have I got you thinking about life skills for children and why you should teach your kids how to sell?

I’ve been asked by several readers of the Sales Buzz for a run-down of the free training available on the website. So here it is:

Motivators & Connectors