HANS KENNEDY: MY START
“I became a salesperson without knowing I was becoming one. Before figuring out I was one, I thought you had to sell a product of some sort or believed that salespeople were scammers, that somehow every salesperson was a used car salesman trying to sell you something not worth the actual price. I did not know that years of organizing events was a type of sale”
Hans Kennedy started his career as a salesman when he was hired to do fundraising for some of the politicians in his university area of Albany, New York. It was the capital school of New York State and all the politicians in the state had their offices based there as they would deliberate about what new laws to pass or which laws to get rid of.
He has multiple interests, especially in politics and history. During his first approach with sales he learned about event organization, and developed networking skills.
His goal was to get funds for a political party so he had to SELL the politician as well as the event he organized. “Selling a person is much different than selling a product. 1 slip of the tongue or 1 abortion view later, and you were trapped to 1 of the groups going completely against you”.
He focused on more moderate politicians and gave both sides of the aisle something that they would like for a pitch as well as they all loved going to his house parties.
“I never drank when I threw events as I was too focused on getting people’s contacts as they drank and would immediately follow up with them the next morning. It was my way of networking. I had a great deal of success putting these fundraisers together where more people would catch on to it and somehow became a club promoter of some sort”
There are some words that describe Kennedy: charismatic, optimistic, lay-low kind of guy. That’s why strangers who meet him love his authentic approach to communication. He went on to tell us that it wasn’t always so easy in the beginning.
“I remember days where I would not have anyone coming out with me and I would have 20 minutes before the club check-in and I would quickly sneak my way to a high-end event selling myself to the door person at the Boom Boom Room and leaving with an entire group of people to where I worked in the Meat Packing District”
One of his strategies that always worked for him is social events, where he takes advantage of networking. Kennedy told us that he prefers to provide a special moment to people than think just about himself:
“I think that after many years of doing nightlife in multiple cities from New York, Los Angeles and Miami people would appreciate the genuine good times I present. A memory to be made. I always get people who write to me on Instagram or Facebook thanking me for introducing them to their wife or husband and sharing pictures of their kids with me. Thanking me for giving them that 1 GREAT NIGHT that changed their life. The currency I get paid best in is in good memory”
He concluded the interview by giving what he believes to be good advice to anyone who wants to start in sales:
“You have to love what you are selling and most importantly know that you are not just selling your product, you are selling yourself at the same time. Honesty goes a long way if you are honest about what you are providing people take notice of it. I will leave you with this, in all the time I have worked in nightlife there have been many choices of promoters to go out with but when you make people feel like they are going out with a “FRIEND” that’s when it works for your benefit, but you have to be genuine about it. I find that this is the best method to sell anything. You have to make your CLIENT feel like they is shopping or partying with a friend because as I have come to realize, people do not want to go out or shop with a stranger. They would much rather spend their time with someone who makes them feel as if they are friends and buy or go out with them”
