Selling Scissors

by
on

When I was a high school kid, I joined FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). We had this fundraiser where we had this box of stuff to sell. What was inside? Christmas cards. Candles. Chocolate. Fancy pens. Leather notebooks. And these scissors. Well, these weren’t just ordinary scissors. With these beauties, you could cut a penny in half. And so I went, door to door. I’d open up my box, showing off the wares everyone expected. For my grand finale (I like to call this the turn), I’d pull a penny out of my pocket and show how these scissors, with a little effort, could cut through anything. Amazing. Stupendous. Insert more expletive words. 

I sold one at every house. When I came around the next year, box in hand, everyone told me those scissors did indeed cut through a penny. Yet, they couldn’t cut through a piece of paper.

I never sold another pair.

Notes:

  • In fairness, I’m not sure I tested the product on actual paper. Maybe, the lesson is to test what you are actually selling.
  • But also, you should always look to sell a good product. Makes life easier.
  • For the picture, I grabbed a hoard of scissors out of my workshop and tossed them on the kitchen table. Yes, the custom-built table.