What Mexican street vendors taught me about selling

A few weeks ago I attended a good friend’s wedding in Mexico. During my vacation, I ventured into Playa del Carmen and strolled the streets to see what was available at the shops. There were dozens of people hawking their wares, trying to entice tourists and visitors to look at their offerings.

Here are three sales lessons I took away from my encounter with the vendors:

1. They were assertive and approached people. Unlike vendors in North America who patiently wait for people to enter their store, these individuals proactively approached people on the street.
2. They were creative. The most unique approach I encountered was a guy who said, “Hey! Remember me? I was your waiter the other night! Come and see what else I do.” Even though I knew he was not actually a waiter from the resort, I was intrigued by his approach.
3. They looked for clues. I had bought some cigars from one store and when other cigar-store owners saw my bag, they would say approach me and say, “Looking for more cigars? We have genuine Cubans at a great price.”

Although these strategies may not apply to your particular business, I encourage you to think outside the box and do something different to stand out from your competition and increase your sales.