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Last month we talked about that once-in-a-lifetime moment in sales when someone walks through the door with a Ming vase under their arm.
Well that moment has just happened – okay it was a Quing vase, not a Ming, but every other element in the story was just as we predicted.
A woman walked into Sotheby’s in Paris with a shoebox under her arm. Inside it, wrapped in newspaper, was a vase that had languished for years in the back of a cupboard, a family heirloom that nobody much liked.
Others didn’t share her distaste and the 18th Century Chinese ornament sold for £14.2 million – 20 times its estimate. Wowser!
Of course, the secret of success in sales is knowing a good thing when you see it and knowing how to market it – whether it’s a vintage vase, a fine wine or a brand new car.
All of the sales positions on s1jobs demand a sharp mind and an eye for detail. Whether you’re selling tractors to farmers or tunneling equipment to the civil engineering sector, you need to understand your customers and build a case why your product or equipment best meets their needs.
Price is as important element of negotiations, but it’s not the whole story – after-sales care can make or break a deal.
In the arts and antiques saleroom, however, the highest bid always triumphs and eye-watering sums can pass hands for the most unlikely items. Here are just a few.
Handbags
Not every battered old holdall is worth money but there’s a significant trade in vintage (that’s posh-speak for second-hand) models and the Hermes Birkin commands the highest prices. One sold at Christies in London a few weeks ago for £162,500.
False Limbs
Strange as it may seem, there’s a thriving trade in old prosthetics, including glass eyes and dentures. If you fancy an early military false leg, it will set you back around £295.
Happy Meals Toys
Most of the plastic and plush mini-toys given away by McDonalds are destined to break the washing machine or be chewed by the cat, but vintage items, including Furbies and Beanie Babies, are now changing hands for up to £700.
Sales is an incredibly wide field and in some sectors a science degree, medical background or technical training is essential.
But in other spheres ability to spot buying trends, however absurd – as our highlights show – could be the making of your career.
So check out the wide range of Sales roles right now on s1jobs.