Do you want my Lightbulbs?

When I was ten years old I took a gymnastics class. I really wasn’t any good. My friend was so good! I loved watching her compete. I just did it to be a part of something. But one day, they asked us to sell light bulbs. They gave us an order form and a couple pictures and sent us on our way.

I started out on my street going door-to-door. I might have hit 10 doors and had one bulb sale. Then I went to the next street, then the next street. I realized that if I tried about ten more doors I’d get another sale. I went out all night long until dark that day. Probably after dark!

The next day I realized that there were several doors where nobody had answered. I had wondered who lived at some of these houses, and why I never saw these people. I started going back to the doors no one answered. I knew an older lady lived in this house, and a heavy set man in this other. I still had no answer, so I went way down the street to where I left off the day before. There I had a sale of ten bulbs.

Now, these were not special bulbs. Not unbreakable bulbs of any sort. I believe they were the best bulbs you could get at that time, so they said. But definitely, better than the regular store bought bulbs. The next day I went back to the same houses again. The older lady finally came out. She bought my bulbs. And, three packs! I really wasn’t concerned with getting the sale at this point. I just wanted to see her. She was old, sweet and I thought she would be annoyed, but she wasn’t. The heavier set man came out too. He had a big library in his office with all kinds of hard back books. He may have been a retired lawyer or doctor, I’ll never know. He bought one pack.

I don’t think that there was a big prize either for selling the most lightbulbs. I really didn’t care at the time if I won. I enjoyed meeting all the people that I never had a reason to meet before. I was just ten years old. It did however give me something to do. Every day I couldn’t wait to get home from school and hit the rest of those streets. It became a passion. I was pushing myself, to nobody else’s benefit. Nobody told me I had to sell those lightbulbs. There was no pressure at all. I did it for myself.

I learned so much about sales at age ten. I learned that sometimes it’s not what you are selling, it’s your approach. I never asked anyone to buy the light bulbs. I simply told them who I was, who I represented, and what I had to offer. However, I never gave up. They bought the bulbs. Some actually needed the bulbs and back then it was unheard of to have something delivered to you. Others bought them to be nice. The rest bought them because they didn’t want me coming to their door the next day, probably!

I did end up selling the most light bulbs during that period. It felt good. What I loved the most was it gave me something concrete to do. I was able to challenge myself. I was also able to meet so many different people. After that, everyone waved at me as I rode my bike down the road. I was that lightbulb kid! Until high school came and I sold magazines would be my guess.

I didn’t know then I would end up in sales for my career. I never forgot those values I learned from back then, even in my adult jobs. Even if the pressure was on, I always found a way to find my customers something they could use, needed, or maybe it was just that cool that they wanted it. If I was passionate about it, usually they were too.

Adding these Edison bulbs to Forever Country Home now makes me think about that day. I know you may not want them or need them. However, I do hope that in the future when you do need an Edison bulb you think of Forever Country Home. They will be here waiting for you, when you come back. Or! If I find an even better one, that will be the bulb you see. If you do need bulbs, buy the bulbs! The best part is I don’t have to deliver them myself, like I did all those bulbs back then. I don’t know what the prize was for being the winner. It must not have been that great since I have no clue!