Blog #4: Mushfake it till you make it

Learning a new identity in the surf/skate sales world 

(me)

When I clocked in on my first day at a retail job I had no idea what to expect. I’ve always been a shopper since that first paycheck I got from my first job (working at a crappy pizza place). Sales associates had always helped me around stores I shopped at, selling me things without me even realizing... and now I took up the role as well.  

and it was a lot harder than pulling pizzas out of an oven. 

Working at a surf/skate shop had always been a dream of my adolescent self (the high aspirations of a SoCal beach baby, am I right?), and my 17 year old self had finally gotten the job. But it was more than just being familiar with the name of the clothing brands and saying things like “that’s rad” and “super sick”. 

This was a sales job. Meaning sales goals. Meaning make those sales goals or you’re cut. 

(I feel like I should also include that this was a commission based job) 

Something in particular I wasn’t too comfortable with, at the start of my new job, was making consistent small talk with strangers. I’m rarely the quietest one in the room, but I would say I can be on the shy side at times & I do appreciate it when people don’t have the need to talk constantly. At my first job (the crappy pizza place) I was able to keep to myself and still get my job done at times that I simply felt like not talking to anyone. But for this job that was not an option. 

Being outgoing and able to spark up conversation with everyone and anyone who walked through our front door was the name of the game. I soon learned that the more you build a connection with someone, the more trust (or Professor Flewelling might say ethos) is built, thus the more likely they are to trust your opinion on things you are selling to them. 

Small talk wasn’t always the easiest for me. I’d find myself asking questions that lead to one word answers like “I’m fine”, “Good”, or my personal favorite “Just looking”. This is where I would say I acted out Gee’s strategy of mushfaking. I was really unsure of what each person would be willing to chat about, so I started to “make do” with what I had from the context clues. Acting interested in things (that I truly was not) was my go to. 

For example, seeing someone walk in with movie theatre popcorn in hand lead to a “Oooo which movie did you see? I heard it was a good one! How was it?” when in reality knowing what movie a stranger just watched was not the most pressing information to myself.

This is one example but there were many other similar situations. 

I would also listen closely to the sales tactics of associates who had learned the tricks of the trade. I soon realized, this often included making assumptions as you go when discussing the specs of a product or some slight exaggerations on the longevity of them (which I now know is not the best way to go about making sales). Learning from them definitely helped to get my footing on the discourse needed to start becoming successful in the workplace. Soon after breaking out of my slightly introverted shell, I realized I get the opportunity to spend my work days meeting connecting with really awesome people, whether they be customers, brand reps or other sales associates. 

Including Bob Hurley
(founder of Hurley)
also an insanely rad human

and Ryan Sheckler, pro skater and my celeb crush since I was 12

 (I definitely always pictured him taller)

Fast forward 3 years, I am now a seasoned sales associate and would say my people skills have significantly improved since those first shifts as a nervous 17 year old. I would credit a significant amount of those skills to the ability to “make do” with what and who I had around me at the time. Mushfaking gave me the ability to build a little bit of a rocky foundation, but build myself up from there. 

& I'm so thankful to clock in and be able to work with more than just a sales team!