Persuasive Communication

There are some people that are naturally persuasive.  They command attention and a following.  They can sell ice to Eskimos.  You get the idea.

I am not persuasive or commanding.  I'm a more passive aggressive whiner and shirker.  I would not be good at sales or marketing.  Yet - I am a communications professional - go figure.  Unemployed communications professional, mind you.

I have never been one for direct sales or MLMs or whatever new-fangled catalog selling parties were popular.  I don't like feeling the pressure and strain you feel when your friends try to sell you crap.  However, I love a particular line of little girl clothes that is sold at trunk shows/parties/open houses (Matilda Jane).  I've been to one before and spent a pretty penny.

Now I'm hosting my own trunk show this weekend at my house.  This is very ambitious of me since I hate cleaning and entertaining.  I try to avoid large crowds of women.  I don't like selling - even though I won't be.  So, I invited over 20 friends/acquaintances and used various communication tools to reach them: email, text, Facebook event invite and USPS mail.  Not to mention the old fashioned method of face to face.

Matilda Jane You & Me Collection

Out of all that effort, maybe four people said they would stop by.  So aggravating.  Most just ignored my invites and the rest just said no or maybe.  I think the clothes might be too expensive?  Or they just don't like these types of selling parties?  Or they don't like me?

Either way, I'm not very persuasive I've decided.  I even promised delicious mimosas, coffee and pastries.  What else does a girl need to dangle, a creepy balloon blowing clown or a male stripper?!

I'm over it.  I'm not too bitter though - I have jilted other people when they have these types of parties.  But now that I'm committed, I just want to get it over with.  There are probably some clothes that I will want to buy anyway - I was just hoping for a discount. Matilda Jane has super cute clothes for women as well as girls.

There is my shameless plug for the brand.  Did I persuade you? Didn't think so!

UPDATE: The trunk show went well! I LOVE the clothes. I bought over $400 worth of clothes for my chickadees and myself.  (OUCH!) Sadly, only 3 of my friends actually showed up, and only 2 of them bought something, so it was ultimately a bust - as I was anticipating.  I will probably NOT do that again as I am now in the hole for food/drink purchased and all the clothes bought, not to mention how much time I spent cleaning.  *sigh* Lesson learned...