Dear Reader Column 10-28-05

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Dear Reader,

I don't know what they're teaching in schools these days, but there were a couple of basic things that were left out of my education and I had to pick them up later in life.

1. How to Sell

You don't have to be in sales to need selling skills. Want a date or a job? You'd better be able to "sell" your good qualities. If you want someone to see your point of view, first you're going to have to sell them your idea.

A business acquaintance--who's not in sales--emailed me the other day. She was trying to sell an idea to other people in her department. "I'm a selling newbie and trying to learn fast the art of the pitch," she wrote.

"The art of the pitch," I assured her, "was simply offering a solution that solves a problem for the person you're 'pitching'. Give them what they want and need, and they'll buy!"

"Ah," she replied. "Offer a solution that solves a problem. I like that. Sign me up as your first student to the Suzanne Beecher School of Pitching."

2. How to Roll a Pie Crust

It's an old fashioned art that will impress your friends. Even though we're surrounded by high tech gadgets, it's amazing what a simple wooden rolling pin can create. Take a homemade pie to a family dinner--tell them you rolled the pie crust from scratch--and they'll "ooh and ahh". It's a real self-esteem boost.

Years ago, when I was home schooling my son, I also taught a cooking class twice a week to six other home schooled kids. The first lesson was how to mix and roll a pie crust, but we didn't stop there. We cut out fancy designs using the leftover dough, decorated the tops of the crusts, and we even used food coloring and painted fall leaves around the edges of our cherry, apple and pumpkin pies.

One of the thirteen-year-old boys in my class got so hooked on baking pies that he called me at home one night at 10 o'clock. He was busy in his kitchen baking an apple pie, and he had a question for me before he popped it into the oven. He was the only person in his family--including his mother and grandmother--who could roll a pie crust from scratch. He beamed with pride when he brought his pie to class the next day.

I wonder if today he's a baker, or just a talented husband who can whip up the holiday pies?

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
www.DearReader.com

P.S. Win a copy of She's All Eyes, by Maura Conlon-McIvor. Sample this first-time author's book, send me an email, and tell me what you think. That's all you need to do to enter the free giveaway. I have 25 books. Maura told me she'd love to hear your feedback. Go
to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/alt/alleyes

Comments

[Arielle Célestin]

I'm a reader and a member of Dear Reader but not much of a baker.

If a 13 yr old boy can bake pie, may please pretty please have the recipe?

[The staff at Dear Reader.com]

In Monday's Dear Reader Column, Suzanne will post recipes, her's and a reader's never fail pie crust advice.