Many people have opposing opinions on whether or not you should make nice with your fellow storage hunters. After all, it’s a business; these people are your competition, so you should harden your heart and take no prisoners. And you know what, that makes perfect sense—but I’m the type of person who likes to kill ‘em with kindness, so to speak. I’m of the belief that being nice can get you a lot further down the road than being a nasty old grouch.
Now, I’m not saying you have to be best buddies with every single person you attend storage auctions with and invite them over on Super Bowl Sunday. But chances are, you’ll find yourself at the storage facility early with a couple of the same regulars waiting for the auction to begin. Sure, you can stand there silently scowling like the mysterious lone wolf that you are, or you can drop the tough guy/gal act strike up a simple conversation. After all, every one of you has something in common or else you all wouldn’t be standing there at 6AM on a subzero winter morning.
Now, I’m not saying you have to be best buddies with every single person you attend storage auctions with and invite them over on Super Bowl Sunday. But chances are, you’ll find yourself at the storage facility early with a couple of the same regulars waiting for the auction to begin. Sure, you can stand there silently scowling like the mysterious lone wolf that you are, or you can drop the tough guy/gal act strike up a simple conversation. After all, every one of you has something in common or else you all wouldn’t be standing there at 6AM on a subzero winter morning.
So here’s a radical idea for the next time you’re in this situation: why don’t you try being nice? Maybe you’ll find out through simple small talk before the auction that Joe’s passion is collecting Pez dispensers and he’s really hoping to find more to add to his collection. Lucky for you, you end up buying a unit that has a whole box of them. So then Joe offers to buy them all from you, on the spot. And he tells you to call him any time you find more. Done deal. You just made your first connection. That’s a lot easier than trying to sell them one by one at the flea market, isn’t it?
You see, you don’t have to be best friends forever. You just have to be nice. You might be thinking “but Dave Hester’s a jerk and he’s a millionaire!” Point taken. But being a jerk works for Dave Hester because he has been in this business for a long time, and is now in a unique position where he doesn’t have to answer to anyone. He’s a TV star. People watching at home eat it up when he raises the bid and then drops the unit on Jarrod and Brandi. But since we all don’t have the benefit of cameras following us at the auctions, being a bitter, spiteful fuddy-duddy like Dave Hester loses its charm.
You see, you don’t have to be best friends forever. You just have to be nice. You might be thinking “but Dave Hester’s a jerk and he’s a millionaire!” Point taken. But being a jerk works for Dave Hester because he has been in this business for a long time, and is now in a unique position where he doesn’t have to answer to anyone. He’s a TV star. People watching at home eat it up when he raises the bid and then drops the unit on Jarrod and Brandi. But since we all don’t have the benefit of cameras following us at the auctions, being a bitter, spiteful fuddy-duddy like Dave Hester loses its charm.
Think of it this way: say you’re looking online for reviews of this new restaurant in town. Each review you read says the same thing: the food is great, but the service is terrible. You can hear the owner in the kitchen screaming at his waiters. Thus, the waiters are miserable and hate their jobs, and in turn, hate you. What’s more, you’ve heard rumors that the owner sabotaged his competition’s food when the fancy New York City food critic came to town. But the food is great, trust me.
Does this really sound like some place you want to eat? Sure, the food is good, but at what cost? This relates to you as a storage hunter. Okay, you’ve got some great products you’re looking to sell, but if you’re a conniving, ruthless son of a gun, people will take notice. People will talk. Other sellers won’t want to network you, they’ll purposely bid against you, and potential buyers will be too afraid to approach you. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire, especially in such small crowds.
Contrary to popular belief, backstabbing and being a jerk isn’t always the best life strategy. I know many will disagree, but I don’t think it works for businesses, either. You can still be assertive, you can still show the newbies who’s boss, but you don’t have to be a jerk. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Give it a shot and see for yourself the difference it can make.
Does this really sound like some place you want to eat? Sure, the food is good, but at what cost? This relates to you as a storage hunter. Okay, you’ve got some great products you’re looking to sell, but if you’re a conniving, ruthless son of a gun, people will take notice. People will talk. Other sellers won’t want to network you, they’ll purposely bid against you, and potential buyers will be too afraid to approach you. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire, especially in such small crowds.
Contrary to popular belief, backstabbing and being a jerk isn’t always the best life strategy. I know many will disagree, but I don’t think it works for businesses, either. You can still be assertive, you can still show the newbies who’s boss, but you don’t have to be a jerk. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Give it a shot and see for yourself the difference it can make.
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