Become a millionaire by selling goods on the street

Joe Ades was a master salesman and became a millionaire just by selling potato peelers for $5 on the streets of Manhattan, New York...

According to Entrepreneur, Joe Ades is a legend in the sales world and an inspiration to anyone in sales or running a business.

Master Sales Skills

Joe Ades is a typical example of a successful businessman and a street vendor icon in New York - Photo: The New York Times.

Ades grew up in England during World War II. As a teenager, he learned sales skills and spent years hawking everything from children's books to Christmas trees on the streets of Manchester, England. Eventually, he moved to New York and picked up potato peelers as his street product because of their compact size.

Until his 70s, six days a week, he woke up before dawn and put on a suit and tie and went out to sell his wares.

With his unique approach and outstanding sales skills, Ades turned selling a simple product into a real-life "show" with that product that was attractive and attracted attention right on the street.

To carry out his somewhat “strange” sales, Ades not only “sells” but also constantly talks to customers every working day. Instead of trying to find ways to make customers “open their wallets”, he tries to care and attract their attention. This is the core element to building relationships with customers.

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life in New York, this man found a way to attract people's attention, enough to convince them to spend $5 on a cheap but convenient product.

“Come here, I want to show you what this knife can do. I’m not asking for money,” Joe Ades began his sales “program.” As the crowd gathered around him, he sat down on a low stool and began “demonstrating” with the potato peeler. He began to peel flower-shaped pieces of potatoes and carrots, chatting with everyone all the while.

These graters, which Ades imported from a Swiss company, have no wires or batteries, just a cleverly designed rectangular piece with blades that can be used to create different cuts. “These are carrot flowers, make them for your kids and they will eat them thinking they are candy,” Ades told the people around him as he grated carrots.

Every day, Ades regularly repeats this "performance" 40 - 60 times.

Little by little makes a lot

At $5 per knife, Joe Ades had high sales but low profits. However, by showing up every day, he had steady sales with the same price. Ades taught the lesson that it is not the business itself that matters, but the value of each sale and the relationship with the customer.

Sometimes in B2B sales, people tend to focus on the big deals and ignore the smaller ones. Sure, it’s great to get the big deals, but it also takes a lot of time and effort. According to Entrepreneur, you can build a successful business by serving smaller customers. Don’t focus on what seems like your “ideal customer” and ignore the smaller ones that bring in less revenue.

“Never underestimate the small amounts of money,” Ades said on the Today Show in 2008.

After 60 years of selling potato peelers, Ades became a millionaire and lived a life of luxury. He even lived in an apartment on Park Avenue and sent his grandchildren to the best universities. When asked if he ever traveled, Ades replied: “Life is a vacation and every day is a vacation.”

Until his death in 2009, Ades never stopped selling his grater, six days a week. As long as there were people walking on the streets of New York, there were potential customers for his graters.

Joe Ades is a classic example of a successful entrepreneur and iconic New York street vendor. While his sales techniques may be from a bygone era, they are timeless skills. Anyone looking for complex B2B sales solutions or selling simple products like vegetable peelers can learn from this master salesman.

According to Saigon Economics