We're about to make the 1000-mile journey from our old home to a new apartment. We had to find short-term living arrangements while our new home is being built. Last week we found out that there was a miscommunication about the closing date. It was supposed to be June 27th, (agreed to by the realtors) but the lawyers were not on the same page (or they missed that memo) and we lost 10 days to prepare to move. So… it's crunch time…

We have to play T.A.G. (Take-Allowcate-Garbage) one last time. We have limited room in our POD to pack what's left. I will be making multiple trips to Goodwill since our original pick-up date of the 21st. And our last garbage pick-up and recycle date is tomorrow (4 days after we found out we had lost 10 days' time).

Environmentally & Community Friendly

I was talking with a couple of friends recently. One asked, “If you had to guess? How many dumpsters do you think it would have taken if you threw out all the stuff you trashed and donated or recycled?” I responded, “At least 3 full-sized ones”.

If you have been following along, you have seen some of my posts about people who picked up shelves, a metal patio set, plants, Christmas trees, CD and VHS packing supplies, and how we shredded over 40 boxes of paper. I sold all our games (Golden Tee, Pinball, Foosball, Darts) & more. We recycled hundreds of cardboard boxes, metal curtain rods, and plastic stuff. I had 25 cans of paint that had to be dried and tossed. And I paid to recycle five huge tube TVs, a 65″ plasma, and over ten flat screens (most of which fried when our house was hit by lightning).

We also filled up two donation trucks with random dishes, Tupperware, clothes, home goods, and so much more.

That's a lot of CRAP! And, I am sure it all would have filled at least 3 dumpsters.

Are You Buying This?

The one thing we could not sell or donate was our furniture. We needed that to stage the house for sale. During the process, there were multiple times when our home sale almost collapsed. That meant we were in limbo in case we had to put the house back on the market. That lasted almost a month, hence why we NEEDED those 10 days to sell or donate two floors of furniture.

We were 100% sure we did not want to move 20-year-old furniture 1000 miles at a cost of $10,000 into a smaller house where most of it would not fit.

When we originally put the house on the market, we hoped to sell all the furniture with the house. Maybe someone was moving from across the country, and wanted to use ours while they bought new stuff here? It can take months just to get a cabinet or dresser with supply chain issues. They could have bought ALL our furniture for $5000 rather than spending $10,000-$15,000 to move theirs?

Our realtor and home stager, both said it won't sell. “Nobody wants pianos anymore.” New homes don't have formal dining rooms.” “Your bedroom furniture was in style 20 years ago and it's too big.” “People don't have rooms big enough for that old entertainment center.” “Those old Klipsch speakers are too big for anyone or any room except yours.” “Nobody needs an office desk as big and expansive as yours… computers have gotten smaller.” It made us worry, that we would have to pay to donate and have hauled away.

But SERIOUSLY? Do they know who they are talking to?

Time Crunch

It was June 1st when we finally came to terms with the buyers and expected to have 27 days to pack, sell or donate, clean, close, and move. It was ONLY 3 days ago (9 days after that) that we learned we only had seven days to do what we expected to do in 17 days.

The good news is we did not wait to get started.

Wheeling & Dealing

Last week, I talked about moving all the furniture into the garage and selling it all. Last week we sold the desk, and entertainment center to one family, and the bedroom set and dining room set to another. I also sold the Klipsch speakers.

All we had left was the piano, kitchen table, and Kim's Car. I can report today that they have all been sold. How did I do it? Well, my dog Layla, motivational quotes, and stupid pictures all helped.

I have been doing a daily motivational quote in the morning, and caption contests every day on Facebook for over 10 years. Add to that Layla's obsession with picking up and carrying around big sticks and you have what's known as Facebook authority. Social media ranks the engagement on your posts and shows them to your audience who are engaging with your posts.

I did not do Facebook marketplace (much – I did sell a few things there but it was a major hassle). What I did was post pictures and say, “Make me an offer?”. Now keep in mind I have thousands of connections but only around half are local (in Chicago). Now imagine finding someone looking for a desk, entertainment center, speakers, a dining room set, a bedroom set, an office desk, a kitchen table, and a used car… who has the need for it and the cash to buy it, and could pick up within a short two-week window? Also, imagine having 27 days cut down to 17 with 7 days to move?

Deals (And Tears) of JOY!

I am happy to report that everything is sold and out of the house. The car was sold to a long-time friend whose son needed a car. He reported back, “Thank you for making it such an easy purchase. My son already changed the squeaking belt.” The people who bought the piano (in our neighborhood) sent us a picture of their 9-year-old daughter sitting, playing, and smiling. Every piece of furniture and that car were sold to friends who are now taking pictures of them and of how it looks and fits into their homes.

It was years of investing in friends that showed a relationship of trust, that no one balked. They just trusted me that if I said it was in good condition and a good deal… it was. And we could not be happier both for them and us.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, investing in relationships, reaped rewards for many. Now imagine if you did the same for your business. How much easier could your business sales become? It takes, time, and commitment to build KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST… but when we truly need that to become an asset in our lives. IT JUST WORKED!

P.S. My home stager was amazed at what we did, especially in the timeframe we had. She said to me, “You know what? I was wrong… You can sell ANYTHING!”

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”
– Vince Lombardi

I would love to hear your thoughts on how you have overcome something when someone told you it was impossible. Have others doubted you in the past? Has disruption deflated or energized you? Tell me about your challenges or successes!

Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about how you can sell anything with a little help from friends.

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.